The Power of Friendship
by Darkbeau
Summary: What if their friendship and understanding bloomed years earlier? For Naruto and his two friends, this bond sets them on the path to true greatness. Geniuses, said to rival the Legendary Sannin, may finally emerge. But will they be so easy to control? A Team7-centric fic. Very AU. T for language.
1. The Boy on the Swing

**Hello everybody!**

**This new fic has been sitting in a document for about three weeks now. I haven't posted it, mostly because I didn't really know where the story was going to end up and wanted the title to bear significant resemblance. ****I've got a vague idea of where this story is going, but otherwise it's totally off the top of my head. I hope it works out.**

**Pairings: No idea yet. I'm going nowhere with any of the interactions you see, so don't assume. Please suggest in reviews. I'm not doing yaoi, yuri or harem, sorry. ****Other than that:**

**This fic is AU. That means I'm in charge and can do whatever I want. **

**Warnings: Genius intellect imminent. Smattering of bad language. Some characters may be very OOC. If you don't like any of these, feel free to leave.**

**Hope you all enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: why do I bother**

The Power of Friendship

Chapter 1 - The Boy on the Swing

It all began in Konohagakure, in a deserted playground. That day, the rain beat down heavily. Thunder rumbled in the distance. Gumboots sloshed through puddles.

In that very yard was an old swing; the bough of the tree creaked with every push, the rhythm slowly calming the one who sat upon it.

The boy looked the picture of depression. His eyes were downcast. He seemed indifferent to the rain that plastered his blonde hair to his forehead and steadily dripped from his quivering chin. In fact, he was so lost in his thoughts that he failed to notice the presence behind him.

"Eh, hello?" came the voice, partially drowned out by the roar of the downpour. "Are you alright?"

The blonde boy jumped at the sound and peered over his hunched shoulders. Another figure stood by the fence, looking every bit the drowned rat as he did.

"It's bucketing! Why are you here, anyway?" the figure called. The boy looked down and kept scuffing his battered trainers in the mud. "Hey! I'm speaking to you!" the voice became impatient, and the boy heard footsteps advance toward the swing.

Glancing up, the blonde observed with a calculating gaze. It was tricky to discern this boy's identity when he was drenched, but he was sure they'd never met before. Out of all the kids he'd tried to play with, he couldn't place this face anywhere.

"What's your name?" the kid kept up the questions. "Mine's Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Uh..." the boy on the swing sniffed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Naruto."

"Why are you here in the rain? Are you hiding from your mum 'cause she's mad?" Sasuke asked, full of childish innocence.

Naruto had clearly chosen not to answer this question. Sasuke frowned in contemplation.

"Do you wanna come to my house?" he asked suddenly.

Naruto looked up to meet his gaze. "Your parents probably won't want me to come," he said.

"Eh? Why should they? Kaa-san and Tou-san always have people over for tea!" said Sasuke.

Naruto shrugged and looked away.

"Come on! I'm soaked. Let's go inside." Sasuke insisted.

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The Uchiha lived in an enormous compound at the southern end of the village. As Sasuke had informed him during their walk (perhaps slosh would be a better word), his clan were very important in the village. They were the Military Police Force. Sasuke had pointed proudly to the huge white building part way from the compound. The Uchiha clan symbol was painted in red and blue for all to see.

Naruto had never even known the compound existed. His life so far had been spent elsewhere in the village, from the orphanage to the Hokage tower, and never this far south. He did, however, recognise a few faces. The memories that accompanied were none too pleasant. Sasuke led them to a house near the very centre, and easily one of the largest. As they splashed down the path and climbed the stairs, the door burst open.

"Sasuke-chan? Where _have _you been!" a woman, definitely Sasuke's mother, appeared with an angry screech.

"Uh... sorry, Kaa-san," said Sasuke, giving her a sheepish grin.

"It's pouring rain! Do you _want_ to catch a cold? And have me keep you in bed?" she demanded. Sasuke stuck out his bottom lip. "Didn't think so."

Only now did she notice the figure hovering on the steps. "And who's this?" she asked kindly, her angry demeanour all but gone. "Sasuke, you'd better bring him in. Get changed, both of you. I'll make some cocoa."

They were both hustled inside and banished down the hall with dry towels.

"I have some clothes you can wear," Sasuke informed him as they turned off and entered a snug little bedroom.

"Oh... arigatou, Sasuke."

"When we're done, we need to take our clothes to the laundry." Sasuke went to the dresser, pulled out clean clothes for both of them, placing them on the bed.

Naruto had to admit he felt cleaner than he had in a long while. The clothes Sasuke had lent him were a little big, but being warm and dry was a blessing in itself.

They hung up their clothes as best they could, then scooted to the kitchen.

"We're done, Kaa-san!" Sasuke called.

"Come get your cocoa, then you can tell me all about what on earth you were doing out there!" a stern voice said from the pantry.

They took their places on the bar stools, Sasuke eagerly reaching for the twin mugs. "I was looking for 'Tachi-nii, but instead I found Naruto-chan."

"Be polite, Sasuke!" his mother reprimanded as she appeared back in the kitchen. She blanched as she laid eyes on Naruto.

Uchiha Mikoto was many things. She was a retired jonin, had served a stint in ANBU, and was now a mother of two. She was the wife to the head of one of Konoha's founding clans. In her life, she'd dealt with more than her share of troubles, particularly from her time in ANBU. None of this could prepare her for having _that boy_ in her house.

"Kaa-san?" Sasuke frowned. "What's wrong?"

Naruto shrank back a little, but continued sipping his cocoa. After a moment, he spoke. "It was kind of you to invite me, Sasuke, but I told you I wouldn't be welcome."

"EH? Kaa-san! Why can't he stay?"

Mikoto seemed to come to her senses. She addressed her son. "Sasuke, it's fine. He can stay."

"Eh-"

"Thank you, Uchiha-san," said Naruto. He was looking relieved. It really was raining heavily.

The front door slammed. The Uchiha matriarch seemed to know what this meant and immediately rushed into the hall. "Itachi! You're back. Change quickly and I'll have you some cocoa."

"Kaa-san, thank you." A boy's voice replied in a low tone.

Back in the kitchen, Sasuke turned to Naruto excitedly, "That's Onii-san! He's a really powerful ninja!"

"Really?" Naruto perked up. "Like jiji-Hokage-sama?"

"Do you know the Hokage?" Sasuke asked in awe.

"Yeah! He's nice to me. He buys me ramen sometimes."

"That's so cool!" Sasuke cried. "Imagine having lunch with the Hokage!"

Five minutes later, Mikoto reappeared from the hall with another person trailing behind.

"'Tachi-nii! Eh, Naruto, this is Onii-san!" Sasuke told him excitedly.

Uchiha Itachi was a taller, slightly older version of his younger brother, minus the enthusiasm. His hair was past his shoulders and tied into a loose ponytail. He seemed to regard everything with a neutral, half-lidded gaze, but perhaps he was simply tired.

"Hello, Naruto-san. Pleased to meet you." He addressed the blonde.

"Nice to meet you too," he said. "Are you really a ninja?"

"Yes, I am."

"EH?" Naruto's smile widened in delight. "Sugoi-yo! I don't know any ninja younger than you!"

Sasuke whispered from beside him, "Onii-san is a chuunin. And he's only ten!"

Itachi seemed to overhear this speculation. "How old are you, Naruto?" he asked.

"Five!"

"Hey, me too!" Sasuke cried. "When's your birthday?"

"Uh..." Naruto hesitated. "October 10th." Itachi and Mikoto shared a glance. The night of the attack of Kyuubi no Kitsune. And the birth date of its container.

Sasuke seemed to miss the significance of this date. "Hah! I'm older than you!" he cried. "My birthday is July 23."

Naruto seemed to recover after nobody tried to throw him out. "Are you going to be a ninja too?" he asked.

"Yes! I'll be one of the bestest. Kaa-san says I can enter the academy next year, did you know?"

"Eh? Cool, me too! I'm gonna become Hokage!"

"The next Hokage?" Sasuke asked, surprised. "Cool! Then I'll be the commander of all the jonin!"

Another slam echoed from the hall and a moment later, a man entered. "Tou-san!" Sasuke cried.

Sasuke's father looked like all the other Uchihas, though perhaps a little more disdainful. It was unfortunate that this vibe ran through so many of the clan members, as Naruto remembered from a number of encounters. Uchiha Fugaku swept his eyes around the room as he kissed his wife.

Then he laid eyes on Naruto. Mikoto felt him stiffen in her arms, and immediately tried to placate him. "Fugaku, dear. How about some tea? I'm sure it's been a long day."

"What is _he_ doing in my house!" the clan head hissed in his wife's ear.

"It was pouring rain, dear. Sasuke brought him here and I said he could stay." Mikoto insisted as she smoothed down his wrinkled shirt. "Besides, we can't send him out now."

"We most certainly can!" Fugaku's voice upped in volume.

Sasuke was regarding the hushed conversation with concern. "Tou-san, I won't let Naruto leave!"

Fugaku turned to his youngest son in fury. "Sasuke, you mustn't let his kind words cloud your judgement-"

"I just found him in the playground!"

"Fugaku, enough of this ridiculous-" Admist the argument, Naruto slipped out, his only goal to distance himself from the clan head's rage. Sasuke immediately noticed his fading presence and tore out after him.

He charged out the door and yelled over the storm, "Naruto! Wait!"

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That night, Sasuke couldn't sleep. His mother had dragged him back inside after he'd tried to go out after Naruto and banished him to his room. He was hurt, angry and confused. How could his parents treat Naruto so poorly? Normally, they were ridiculous about keeping up appearances.

After much searching the next day, Sasuke found the blonde back at the playground, rocking gently on the swing. Naruto glanced up at him, but said nothing.

"I'm sorry about Tou-san," Sasuke said after a minute. He shifted his weight from foot to foot in the awkward silence that followed.

"They all treat me like that," Naruto mumbled finally. "It's okay. I'm used to it."

"Eh? Don't act like you can take it!" Sasuke grew angry. "Why do they do that, anyway?"

Naruto hesitated, clearly wondering if he could trust the boy. "I'm a demon," he said after a moment. "But... but I never did nothing! I don't understand..." he sniffed a little.

"You don't look like a demon to me!" said Sasuke. "You don't have horns or anything!" Naruto seemed to consider this, but made no reply. "They're really _stupid_." Sasuke continued. "If you were really a demon, you'd have tried to hurt me or Kaa-san."

"They all say I am," Naruto replied in an angry voice.

"What about your parents?" asked Sasuke. "I know mine wouldn't let anyone call me a demon!"

Naruto looked down and frowned slightly. "Don't have no parents."

"I... oh. Sorry," Sasuke mumbled. "Do you know... how?"

"Hokage-jiji says they died the day I was born, but I don't know how. I... I don't even know who they are."

"Why don't you ask the Hokage? He might know!" said Sasuke.

"He won't tell me."

"EH?"

"I told you, it's because I'm a demon." Naruto insisted, his voice laced with anger. "It's because I don't really have any parents! I never had parents! It's all a lie to make me think I'm normal."

Sasuke clenched his fists. He was seething.

"We're going to the Hokage _right now_," he huffed and grabbed Naruto's wrist, pulling him roughly from the swing.

Naruto's eyes widened as he was dragged out of the playground and toward the Hokage tower.

"Hokage-jiji won't-"

"Let's see if he won't!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, looked up expectantly as his secretary poked her head around the door. "Some kids are here to see you, Hokage-sama." She wrinkled her nose at something, seemingly in disgust. "Shall I send them in?"

"Of course," he replied as he placed down his brush and reached for his pipe. A few moments later, the door opened wider and two five-year-olds entered, one dragging the other.

"Hokage-sama!" the dark-haired one proclaimed loudly. "We've come to ask you something very important, sir!"

Sarutobi chuckled at the unusual display of formality from the Uchiha heir. "Yes?" he asked.

"We want to know who Naruto's parents were, sir!"

The old man's eyebrows shot up. Out of all things, that was the last request he'd have expected. He peered at the other kid, who looked odd without his usual attire. He was still wearing the clothes Sasuke had lent him the night before. "Naruto? Is that you?" the Sandaime asked.

"Hai." The blonde muttered.

"Sandaime-sama, please!" Sasuke repeated.

The Hokage sighed as he took a whiff from his pipe and leaned back in his chair. "Sasuke-kun, I have already spoken with Naruto about his parents," he said. "Their will dictates that I cannot reveal his heritage yet. I _am_ sorry."

"Then when?" Sasuke asked. "When can you tell him? He thinks he's a demon with no parents!"

"A demon, you say?" Sarutobi's eyes widened at this implication. "Naruto, what makes you think you're a demon?"

The blonde shuffled his feet and looked down. "That's what they all say."

"When can you tell him?" Sasuke insisted, aware that he was being very rude, but not caring in the slightest anymore. "Is it when he becomes a ninja? When!"

"Uchiha Sasuke," the Hokage said, looking stern. "It is not your place to ask such questions."

"I... sorry, sir!" said Sasuke. "I just... can't imagine not knowing who my parents were."

"It is hard, I'm sure," said Sarutobi. "And Naruto, I'm very sorry."

"When will you tell me?" Naruto asked, his lip quivering.

"When you're older, and I'm at liberty to do so."

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"_Kuso!_" Sasuke hissed, viciously kicking at the rocks by his feet. They were back in the playground, sitting by the swing. Sasuke was fuming, while Naruto seemed to be brooding as he picked at the drying grass. "Why won't he tell you? _Stupid_..."

"He says I'm too young." said Naruto.

"Yeah, but... he said your parents have a will!" said Sasuke. "They don't want you to know who they are?"

"Not until I grow up."

"Why is that?" Sasuke wondered out loud. "Were they bad people?"

"_No_!" Naruto hissed. "Don't say that!"

"Well... well why can't you know yet? What's the point of a will like that?" When he got no reply, Sasuke continued, "Maybe you're a secret, and nobody can know about you? Or maybe people didn't like your parents! Maybe this is to keep you safe," he speculated. Little did Sasuke know that he'd hit the nail right on the head.

Naruto frowned at these possibilities. "They might have been ninja, you know," he said. "Jiji is always kind to me. He probably knew them."

"Right! Really powerful ninja!" Sasuke agreed. "Hey, do you know if you're from a clan? What's your family name?"

"Uzumaki..."

Sasuke turned the name over in his head, but drew a blank. "Never heard of it." Naruto sighed bitterly and resumed pulling up grass. "You know, there's really only one way we can find out about your family," Sasuke said after a moment. Naruto looked up in interest. "We gotta become ninja!"

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Unlike the civilian academy, the Konoha ninja academy was open year-round, with a month's holiday over December in preparation for the new year. It was a long month of begging the Hokage before he finally relented and agreed to let Naruto commence the school year with Sasuke.

The two were easily the youngest in the class, with respect to a few others from various prominent clans. Naruto observed as they entered the classroom many of the kids he'd attempted to play with. The pair took a seat at a bench by the window. There was already someone sitting on the end. She gazed out the window, her head resting leisurely in her palm.

"Ohayo," said Sasuke as they took their seats. The girl jumped and turned to face them in surprise.

She was an odd duckling. Her hair was bubblegum pink and she had an abnormally large forehead, which she kept hidden beneath an uncut fringe. Clearly startled by the presence of two boys, she blushed and bowed her head.

"Hello," she murmured, her voice barely audible over the class.

"I'm Sasuke!" the boy said. He looked over to Naruto, who stayed quiet and observed the girl from his end of the bench.

"S-Sakura," she said.

At that moment, a boy in his late teens entered the room and yelled for silence. He had silver hair cut to his shoulders and angular features, and he wore the standard chuunin uniform: green vest and blue undergarb. Their first class was more of an introduction of sorts; much to Sasuke's disappointment, there was no mention of 'cool jutsu' other than the studying of ninjustu in years to come. The first two years were to be devoted to theory, with an occasional practical class. What made Sasuke angry was that weaponry didn't start until year 3.

"Are you serious?" he hissed in Naruto's ear. "I don't wanna wait til I'm eight to throw kunai!" He'd then proclaimed in their break that he'd be asking Itachi for help, and that the both of them would learn before the year was up.

The days soon blurred into weeks, and before they knew it, they were taking their first exam. Until now, Naruto hadn't paid much attention to the discrimination he received, chalking it up to the influence of parenting and the greater village population, but on getting back his results he knew there was definitely something up.

"Look at this crap!" he snapped as he slammed his hand on the desk and turned to face Sasuke. The Uchiha heir was busy peering at his own test. He looked over at Naruto's and frowned.

"Only two marks out of twenty? That's rubbish," he scowled. "You know as much as I do and look, I got eighteen!"

Naruto looked thoughtful. "We helped each other learn for this, so there's no way this is real."

"Ne, Sakura-chan. What did you get?" Sasuke asked the girl next to him.

Sakura blushed at the honorific and drew her shoulders in as she hunched over the desk. "T-twenty."

"EH?" Naruto grinned over at her. "That's really good! You're really clever."

"Wait, Naruto! Can I see your test?" asked Sasuke. Naruto shrugged, letting the Uchiha take it and place it next to his own. He watched as his friend peered at their papers.

Sasuke was silent, until, "Hah! Bull_shit_!" he declared, showing Naruto the two tests. "Our answers were exactly the same, except for two of them. You know what?" he frowned, then grabbed Sakura's test from the corner of her desk. He inspected it and laughed. "Hah! Your answers are the same as Sakura-chan's! You should have got twenty. What an asshole sensei."

"H-huh?" Sakura asked, sounding quite appalled. "Why should Naruto get only two marks? That's awful to make him look so bad!"

Naruto and Sasuke stared at her. This was the most she'd ever said to them, and that was when adding up all their previous encounters. Haruno Sakura was _not_ a talker. In fact, she was so shy she barely said a word to anyone at all.

"Yeah... what bastards," Sasuke agreed, snapping out of it.

"Ano... why would they do that to you, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"There seems to be some kind of mutual dislike going on." Sasuke explained. "We're really not sure ourselves."

"K-Kaa-san told me something about him," said Sakura in a small voice.

"Eh?" Naruto asked, looking slightly bitter. "Did she call me a demon like everyone else?"

Sakura looked surprised. "No... No, she just said that you were dangerous. That I'm not allowed to play with you or talk to you. She won't tell me why."

"Yeah... well, someday we're gonna find out why," Sasuke said, a determined look coming over his face. "We're gonna find out who his parents are, too."

Naruto nodded, "Hokage-jiji won't tell me until I'm older, but we're gonna find out before then! Hey, Sakura-chan! You're clever. Do you want to help us?" he asked eagerly.

"Eh? Sakura-chan! I saw you in the library," Sasuke added. "I think Naruto's parents might have been ninja, but we don't know anyone with his last name. Maybe we can find something about them."

Sakura's eyes had grown wide at these proclamations. She looked from one eager face to the other, briefly thought about her mother and how much she'd disapprove, then crushed that thought with her immense desire to fit in.

"S-Sure," she replied. "I'd love to."

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**Please let me know what you think in the reviews! Thank you and good night!**


	2. The Boy in the Battered Armchair

**Here is chapter two. A little shorter than normal, for that I apologize.**

**Warning: seriously AU; some bad language.**

**Disclaimer: why**

Chapter 2 - The Boy in the Battered Armchair

After Sakura had introduced him to the ninja library and its catalogue system, Naruto dove straight to the books and scrolls in search of answers. Though in the first few days all three had their noses stuck in, Sasuke was forced to admit after a few weeks that it was becoming unhealthy. Naruto had the tendency to hole up and only surface for ramen. He'd taken to the old battered armchair in the corner of the building. Sasuke had joked that it smelled of cats. The blonde had scowled and ignored him.

In regard to researching on Naruto's parentage, Sakura suggested they look for information on his family name. Neither Sasuke nor she had any clue as to who the Uzumakis were, but they hoped an answer would crop up. Sure enough, a week later it did.

"Ne, Sasuke! Naruto! I think I've found something," Sakura called excitedly from somewhere among the rows of reference.

"You think so?" Naruto appeared next to her.

"Hai!" the pink-haired girl had in her arms a giant scroll of yellowing parchment.

"_A History of Shinobi Clans and Kekkei Genkai_," Naruto read. "Nice one, Sakura-chan!" They lugged the scroll to the table in the far corner and made space for it.

Sasuke arrived carrying three thick books. "Got something?" he asked.

"Just maybe..." Naruto said as he helped Sakura set the scroll down. He opened it and scanned the introduction.

"Look, there's an index!" said Sakura. They unravelled the scroll further, searching down the list for the _U _section. "_Uchiha... _hey, bingo!" Sakura's finger stopped at the final word. _Uzumaki_.

"Hah! It's here, it's here! I knew it!" Sasuke proclaimed. "You really do have a clan!"

"Quick, unravel it more, Sakura-chan," said Naruto. "What does it say?" It was odd to navigate using a scroll rather than simply flick through a book, but eventually they reached the correct section.

"_The Uzumaki Clan_," Sasuke read, "_is one of the chief ninja clans of Uzushiogakure in Uzu no Kuni and widely feared for its knowledge in the art of fuuinjutsu. As descendents of Konohagakure's Senju Clan, these clans are distantly related and their peace treaty extends to their hidden villages._

_The Shodai was married to Uzumaki Mito, a kunoichi of Uzu, to further ensure friendship. Ninja of Konoha wear the symbol of Uzu as a mark of this loyalty."_

"Eh...?" Naruto wondered. "My clan is _this _Uzumaki clan?"

"Duh," said Sasuke. "Why wouldn't it be? Plus, this likely confirms that at least one of your parents was a ninja."

"But where's Uzu?" asked Sakura. "I sure haven't seen it on any map."

"I sure haven't looked at any map," Naruto joked.

"It's on the wall, Naruto!" Sakura snapped back at him. She'd opened up significantly since their quest had begun and almost lost her stutter. Naruto followed her gaze and approached the map.

"Oh, cool," he muttered. "So that's Hi no Kuni. And that there is Kaze no Kuni. But... there's no Uzu no Kuni? How is that possible?"

"Must not exist anymore," Sasuke guessed. "That scroll is pretty old. Or maybe they renamed it."

Naruto shrugged, "At least it explains how I'm in Konoha. Our villages are allied."

"Well, now we know that your parent from the Uzumaki clan was likely a ninja, and they must've lived here or you wouldn't either," said Sakura. "I don't think we'd be able to just look in the registry, though."

"Registry?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, the ninja registry. Anyone who's a ninja is in there, along with their village and rank," explained Sakura. "Since we don't know any other Uzumakis, your parent might have been the only one in the village before they died. Either that, or you've got relatives you don't know of, and that's still likely."

"Sakura, you genius!" Sasuke stared at her in awe, Naruto doing much the same. "We gotta find a way to look in the registry."

"Ne, Sasuke," said Naruto after a moment. "Why don't you ask your mum if she knows anything? I didn't tell her my clan name, so she doesn't know. Tell her you read about them or something."

"Right!" said Sasuke eagerly. "Kaa-san used to be a ninja! She'll definitely know."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Uchiha Mikoto was having tea and flicking through a book when her son bounded inside and posed an extremely spontaneous question.

"Ano... Kaa-san? When you were a ninja, did you know anyone called Uzumaki?" Sasuke asked. He watched her face in confusion as the blood seemed to drain from it.

"Uzumaki?" she frowned. "Where did you hear a name like that?"

"I was in the library with Sakura-chan," Sasuke explained, purposely leaving Naruto's name out of it. "We were reading about clans. The Uzumaki clan are related to the Senju, did you know?"

Mikoto never thought she'd hear that name again. She'd been fairly close with Kushina, and her death had weighed heavily on her. Their final conversation, where the red-head had sheepishly asked if it hurt, still stuck in her mind. But why was Sasuke so interested? It troubled her. Still, she figured it couldn't hurt to tell him.

"I knew a woman named Uzumaki Kushina," she admitted. Sasuke's eyes widened in delight. "We were quite close. Our pregnancies fell at the same time, you know."

"What do you mean, you _knew_ her?" Sasuke asked carefully. "Did she... die?"

Mikoto sighed and cupped her hands around her mug. "Yes, she was killed when the Kyuubi no Yoko attacked the village five years ago. We never found out if her baby survived."

"What was she like?" he asked. "The Uzumaki clan were awesome with seals! Did she know seals too?"

"She was quite capable, but not like her ancestors. She arrived in the village when she was very young and had nobody to teach her." Sasuke was quiet as he digested this new information. He was sure this was Naruto's mother.

"Do you know what happened to Uzushiogakure?" he asked suddenly.

"You're full of questions today, aren't you?" Mikoto asked, one eyebrow raised. "Uzu was destroyed by an attack from Iwa during the Third Great Shinobi War."

"Do you know where it is?"

"The village no longer exists, Sasuke," Mikoto told him. "I'm unsure, but I believe it's located in what's now Nami no Kuni."

"Nami, eh?" said Sasuke. "Thanks, Kaa-san! I'll be back tonight!" He called back as he bounded out the door and back through the compound. Mikoto frowned as she sipped her tea. That boy was far too curious for his own good.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After the revelation of Naruto's maternal family, the three were all over finding out his father's identity. Unfortunately, short of asking the Hokage directly, there wasn't much they could find on the man. Instead, they turned to gathering information on Naruto's ostracised state.

The first two weeks had Sasuke and Sakura bounding up to anyone they saw fit and asking directly, but no matter who they asked, they never seemed to get a straight answer. People would refer to him as the _demon brat_ or _that demon boy_, but never with an explanation.

Naruto found some solace in the Hokage's promise. He'd come to the conclusion that he'd have to become a ninja to get all the straight answers, so he turned attention to his studies with an aim to graduate as soon as possible. Sasuke, never wanting to be left behind, had acquired much the same drive and a rivalry of sorts had arisen between the pair. Unfortunately, since the blonde's exams were normally sabotaged, they never really competed for the top spot. This left the third member of their party to dwell on the mystery of Uzumaki Naruto.

Haruno Sakura didn't look it, but she was intelligent – incredibly so. Her early years before entering the ninja academy had been spent absorbing information like a sponge, mainly from the civilian library. She adored learning, and being granted access to the ninja library had opened up an enormous range of new topics to browse at her leisure.

She found it incredibly odd that people should dislike the young Uzumaki. He was not an aggressive or bad-tempered child. Though he often got into mischief, she saw no reason for this ridiculous level of discrimination. After considering this, she concluded that the villagers' hate could not be due to his own actions but another reason, likely his heritage.

However, was highly unlikely they disliked the Uzumaki Clan. Was his father dangerous and feared by the villagers? She didn't think so either. After all, if Uzu and Konoha had a peace treaty, why should Naruto's mother marry a man like that? Then why? What was she missing here?

Sakura shook her head and rubbed her tired eyes. Perhaps she should ask if anyone knew who Naruto's parents were. If they didn't, that meant his heritage had nothing to do with anything.

Closing her scroll and sighing, she shifted her gaze to the armchair in the corner. Naruto was there, reading up on something. After finding out his mother's name, he hadn't come to the library often, satisfied for the mean time. Today however, he'd apparently felt the need.

"Naruto?" Sakura asked as she approached him, scroll in hand. He was peering at _A History of Shinobi Clans. _"I'm going home. See you tomorrow?"

"Sakura-chan, didn't you say you're from a civilian family?" Naruto asked. He'd decided to revisit it in his quest for answers, but had come across something entirely different.

"Well, yes..." the girl muttered. "Nobody in my family is a ninja."

"Then what's this?" Naruto asked, pointing to the scroll. He began to read out loud, "_The Haruno Clan is one of the ancient clans of Amegakure no Sato, renowned for their unmatched strength and fearsome bloodline."_

"EH? Let me see that!" Sakura demanded, moving to look over Naruto's shoulder as he continued.

_"Their Kekkei Genkai, _Kokoroton – Spirit Release_, allows the user to read the mind of an individual and place compulsions or suggestions to assume control. The ability is most recognised for its role in the first two Great Shinobi Wars, when the clan used it to assist Amegakure in infiltration of enemy villages. However, as in the Kaguya Clan, their Kekkei Genkai often failed to manifest. It is thought to be highly recessive, only appearing in individuals every few generations_."

Sakura was silent as she digested this. Naruto grinned up at her. "You still think you have no clan? You must be a descendant of these guys!"

Sakura inspected the text and frowned, "That might be true, but it doesn't really mean anything. It sounds as if all the surviving members are dispersed across the shinobi nations. Besides, there hasn't been a ninja in my family for generations."

Naruto shrugged, "You might get that Kekkei Genkai."

"You just read about how rare it is. I fail to see how this applies to me at all."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto snapped. "This is awesome! Don't be like that. We just found out you're a descendent of a powerful ninja clan. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

The girl gave a slight smile and turned to leave. "I suppose it's quite a nice thought," she chuckled. "Ja!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Before heading home, Sakura made her way down Main Street with the intention of interviewing. Taking a deep breath, she walked up to a fruit stand looking determined.

"Good evening, young lady!" the vendor said cheerfully. "What can I get you today?"

"Err... well, I wanted to ask you something," she began, shuffling awkwardly. "You know that... that _demon kid?_" she cringed inwardly as she said it. It was preposterous how he was being treated.

The vendor immediately got a dark look on his face and he wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Sure do. Little brat!"

"Do you know where he came from? Who are his parents?" Sakura held her breath.

"Parents, you say? He don't got none, 'cause he's a demon! That's what they all say, and I'm inclined to believe it myself. Why, just yesterday-" The man spluttered as a tomato hit him square in the face. He looked back up to see a furious Sakura, lining up a second shot.

"Hey! You'll pay for that, brat! Come back here!" he yelled as Sakura took off down the street. She was gone before he could move his overweight form out from behind the stand.

Sakura arrived home and stormed up to her room, glad her parents weren't home to see her fuming. It made her furious every time she saw a villager talk crap about her friend. He'd clearly done nothing, and from what the vendor had said, she doubted his parents had either. There was a far deeper reason for this dislike. It was mutual throughout the whole village, with no explanation provided. Were people forbidden to speak of it? She could only hope that soon, her research would turn up something.

After calming herself down with a mug of tea, she turned her thoughts to other things. Although her possible heritage likely meant nothing to her current situation, it had nevertheless shocked her. She, Haruno Sakura, related to some of the most feared shinobi in history? It seemed almost ridiculous.

Her mother was a school teacher and her father a businessman. Both had been surprised at their daughter's piqued interest in ninja life. Sakura doubted they believed she'd become a true kunoichi; many girls dropped out of the academy when they learned the reality of a shinobi career.

She didn't blame them. It certainly wasn't for the faint of heart.

Sighing, Sakura opened a book on medical ninjustu she'd found in the library, resuming her reading. The subject was really quite intriguing, and she felt she ought to pursue it further. Medical shinobi required an incredible level of chakra control and extensive knowledge of anatomy and physiology. As a kunoichi, her reserves were naturally smaller - thus making control easier to master – and her nimble little mind was positively giddy at the prospect of a new information source.

She wouldn't be left behind by her new friends. If they planned to graduate as soon as they could, she'd work her ass off to keep up. She wouldn't be the weakest, damn it!

XXXXXXX

**Thanks for reading !**

**Please review, and I'll see you all... in the future.**

**-Charlie**


	3. The Girl and her Obsession

**An absolutely massive thank you to everyone who reviewed my first two chapters!**

**You're all fabulous. And now... ****Presenting Chapter 3!**

**Warning: AU & occasional bad language**

**Disclaimer: why**

* * *

><p><span>Chapter 3 – The Girl and her Obsession<span>

Summer came and went, but between academy classes, running back and forth from the library and trying their best to leech off the knowledge of active ninja, Naruto and his friends barely noticed.

After weeks of begging Itachi to teach him ninja weaponry, Sasuke had finally gotten his way. Unfortunately, due to Naruto's status in the Uchiha compound, it was impractical for him to attend these little sessions.

The elder Uchiha had demonstrated the bare basics of kunai and shuriken-throwing, which Sasuke had then passed on to his two friends. Sakura had looked on dubiously at the learning process, claiming that an amateur teaching another amateur was rather like a game of Chinese Whispers, the outcome of which could only be crude. However, a month later she'd sheepishly asked to be taught anyway, since their progress with projectiles at the academy was ridiculously slow. Sasuke had also been pestering his brother any chance he could get, asking him for grip confirmation and other small corrections to minimise errors in Naruto and Sakura's own throws.

Medical Ninjutsu had become the pink-haired girl's new obsession. She could always be found either in the library or her bedroom, where she'd keep her nose in her ridiculously thick textbooks and only surface for food, academy classes and later, the occasional instruction from Sasuke. She was fascinated by the human body and its chakra network, which consequently led her on to discover the intricacies of genjutsu.

Though fairly sullen and cold among those he didn't know the Uchiha was surprisingly protective of Sakura and Naruto, and quite vocal around them. He'd quickly become the more _responsible_ member of the trio, often feeling the need to drag his pink-haired friend from the depths of her mind to get some fresh air. He'd found her in her bedroom one afternoon in September, dressed in pyjamas and surrounded by books with complicated diagrams of chakra networks. Her eyelids were drooping.

"Sakura..." he huffed, "you should come outside, take a break." He kicked out at the piles of tissues, lolly wrappers and the occasional ramen cup. Naruto had definitely been here. "This is ridiculous."

It was the Sakura he knew. She'd really opened up now and didn't seem to give a crap about others' opinions. She even wore her hair back, exposing her forehead to the world. She'd also developed an unhealthy addiction to sugar. Kami help them the day she got into ramen.

"Hmm," replied Sakura. She lay on her belly propped up by an elbow, reading at a ridiculous rate. Sasuke shook his head. "What's with all this junk in here? Where are your parents?" he asked. He didn't come round to the girl's house too often, preferring to meet his friends outside or at the academy. It had been close to a month since he'd last been here, and he'd only turned up because he couldn't find Naruto anywhere.

"On a business trip in the capital," the girl said, glancing up at her friend. "I didn't want to go so my aunt is watching me, but she doesn't live here." Sakura followed his gaze to the floor and gave a look of surprise, "Oh... that was probably Naruto. The ramen cups, I mean. The tissues and wrappers are me."

"Ah," Sasuke nodded as he surveyed the room. His eyes were drawn to a sprawl of books at the end of the bed. "That was him?"

"Yeah," said Sakura. "He was here last night. Idiot slept on the floor."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. It was common knowledge, and not just to them, that Naruto had possibly the shortest attention span in the elemental nations. Was he honestly sitting with Sakura, _reading?_ "Right... well, anyway," Sasuke continued, "I couldn't find him, so I came round."

Sakura rubbed her tired eyes and sat up, looking around blearily. "So you wanted to do something? I'm kinda tired..." she gave a colossal yawn.

Sasuke shrugged and made space on the bed to sit. "It's boring at home and my arms ache from training."

"Still throwing kunai?"

"Senbon, too," Sasuke revealed. "They're a lot harder to use, but I got 'Tachi-nii to show me."

Sakura's eyes widened in interest, "I've read about those! You need extensive knowledge of anatomy to use them effectively. If you let me, I could tutor you."

"Eto... thanks, Sakura-chan," said Sasuke. "I _will_ show you how to use them, but not until I really get it down. I don't want either of you to have to relearn because I taught you wrong."

A door slammed and Naruto's voice travelled up the stairs, "Sakura-chan?"

"Still up here, Naruto!" she called.

The blonde appeared in the doorway a minute later, a book tucked under his arm. "Eh? Hey, Sasuke!"

"Hn, idiot. I've been looking for you everywhere."

"Sorry," Naruto shrugged. "I got sidetracked." He sat down amongst his pile of books and opened his new one.

"What're you reading about?" asked Sasuke, generally intrigued. "You can't sit still for two minutes."

"Sealing!" Naruto grinned. "It's cool, but insanely complicated."

The Uchiha heir gave a light chuckle, reflecting on his friends' new-found interests. After that first month in the library researching, Sakura's status as a bookworm had been revealed. It seemed this had rubbed off on Naruto, who now fell back on the library for any unanswered questions. He did not, however, have the same kind of focus for this form of learning and preferred practical applications, as did Sasuke.

"Have you made any seals yet?" the Uchiha asked.

"Duh," said Naruto. He pointed at a book by his feet with a bright blue cover. "I made my first one right after I read that book. It's tricky to get right, though - one stroke out of place and you could turn yourself inside out." He grinned at this thought.

"That's mainly what he was doing last night," Sakura muttered. "Could've blown up my house! I'm surprised the idiot has the patience, what with all the jittering."

"Shut up, Sakura-chan!" Naruto stuck out his bottom lip and Sasuke let out a chuckle.

"You clearly have ADHD," the girl declared.

"AD-_what?_"

"Sasuke, have you read about much ninjutsu?" Sakura asked him, changing the subject.

The boy shook his head and lay back on the bed. "I looked at a few books, but the way they explain it is confusing. There's so much theory about chakra moulding and a ton of words I don't understand. Not to mention the academy jutsu. They're so basic that they're really not helping."

"Yeah, well," muttered Naruto, "soon as they let me take the graduation exam, I'm out of there."

"You need to learn to make a bunshin before that," Sasuke reminded him.

It was true – the three had advanced ahead of the academy curriculum and had a ton of new information dumped on them by a reluctant Mizuki-sensei. This included ninjutsu, taijutsu and weaponry classes with some of the higher grades. But while they'd all learnt the three essential jutsu, Naruto's bunshin were always pathetic no matter how hard he tried.

At first Sakura, who had near perfect control and tiny reserves, could not understand it. All her references stated that although reserves varied significantly, children as young as they were ought to have similarly small levels. She'd chalked it up to pathetic control and dumped a bunch of textbooks on her friend, ordering him to do some chakra exercises. When that had only slightly improved results (such that the bunshin now had form and looked less like a giant amoeba) she'd dived back into her medical textbooks and eventually managed to perform a successful chakra examination.

Naruto had simply _massive_ reserves. It was difficult to quantify the difference between the blonde and Sasuke, and even more difficult to explain it to them. It was _unnatural. Inhumane._

"Screw the bunshin, it's a useless little E-Rank!" Naruto was saying. He looked up in surprise as Sakura started chuckling. "_What? _It is."

"I wonder how they'll pass you then," she said. "You'll be more than ready to become a ninja, but they won't understand because they won't know how big your reserves are. They'll just think you suck."

The boy huffed, "Shut it. It's not my fault."

"I've been wondering about that," Sasuke commented. "Why are your reserves so large? From what Sakura says, your levels are crazy. She could barely quantify them other than saying you had a ton of chakra. That's not normal."

Naruto shrugged, "No idea. Maybe it's part of the Uzumaki lineage. Some of those scrolls did talk about members of the clan having special chakra."

"Makes sense," Sakura frowned. "Still... it's weird."

* * *

><p>The remainder of September flew by. Naruto, though getting the basics of sealing down, had yet to progress further than explosive tags. It was just so darn confusing! There was so much crazy theory involved that, as he'd confided to Sasuke, he doubted Sakura herself could make sense of it. Meanwhile, said girl had moved on to the more practical applications of Medical Ninjutsu and had offered to heal her friends every chance she got. However, this had led to some – <em>interesting<em> – discoveries.

"Keep still, Naruto!" Sakura snapped at the blonde. He'd been kunai sparring with Sasuke and gotten an unlucky hit. His constant jittering made it difficult for the young medic, who was using her chakra to close his gash.

"Tch, idiot," Sasuke muttered.

"Teme!" Naruto grumbled. "This is your fault. Are you done, Sakura-chan?" The pink-haired girl was focusing intensely, trying to apply chakra to the area. Sasuke and Naruto looked on as she worked, the wound slowly closing up before their eyes. "Huh? Wicked!" grinned Naruto. "I sure want you by my side in battle!"

Sakura, meanwhile, was staring at the wound in surprise. "Naruto?" Sakura asked once the wound had healed fully, "Have you always healed quickly?"

"Eh?" the boy was distracted by a nearby Genin team and didn't look around. "Uh, yeah, I'm pretty sure. I've never been to a hospital in my life... except when I was born, I suppose."

Sakura was frowning heavily at the faint scar. "Sorry Naruto, but..." she whipped a stray kunai off the ground and sliced his leg open.

"EH? What'd you do that for?" Naruto demanded angrily. The pink-haired girl ignored him and began to mop away the blood, but did not move to heal him. "Ah... itai!"

Sasuke looked on in surprise. "Keen for a practice, eh?" he asked.

"That's not it at all!" she snapped, wiping more blood away. "Look here, you two. Tell me what you see."

Three pairs of eyes looked on as the wound slowly knitted itself.

"Oh hell..." Sasuke muttered. "That's some crazy ability, Naruto."

The blonde in question shrugged nonchalantly. "Told you I'm awesome. I've never seen it in action, though. Kinda cool."

"Baka!" Sakura flicked at his ear, making him yelp. "Well... this adds another thing to my list."

"Are you gonna research about my healing?" Naruto asked in surprise. "It's not that weird, is it? I mean, until now I just thought everyone had this. I'm guessing from your reactions... they don't."

"They definitely don't, Naruto," said Sakura. "That's why there are so many people in the hospital. We have medical ninjutsu to speed healing up, but yours is even faster. It's not normal"

The blonde shrugged, "Weird. But then... I'm far from normal."

Sakura cringed as she thought of the villagers and their attitudes toward her friend. The past nine months had seen no improvement whatsoever – in fact, they seemed confused that he had friends. Sakura had actually been _confronted_ by a bunch of them and asked what she thought she was doing. She'd nevertheless told them exactly what she thought in none-too-polite language, clearly shocking the group by knowing so many expressive words.

"I should get home," said Sasuke as the other two got to their feet. "Kaa-san said not to stay out late."

"Sure, sure," said Naruto. He started collecting his kunai. "See you tomorrow at the academy."

"Bastard place," Sasuke muttered.

"Not long yet, Sasuke!" Sakura told him encouragingly. "Ja!"

* * *

><p>It wasn't long indeed until the graduation exam. Traditionally, potential Genin took the exam in early November, while the remaining students continued on until December. The three <em>hoped<em> they could finally pass, but they still hadn't decided what to do regarding Naruto's bunshin.

As the days blended into October and anticipation filled the air in preparation for the Kyuubi festival, the blonde slowly became more sullen and withdrawn. He'd holed up in Sakura's bedroom and adopted her mole-like lifestyle, but refused to say more than a few words to her and Sasuke. Instead, he sat in silence as he inked around with his seals. As the problem only seemed to get worse, Sasuke was growing more and more worried.

"I don't understand it," he confided in Sakura. It was Friday and an academy class day, but Naruto had flatly refused to move from his spot in Sakura's room. "You'd think he'd be excited. His birthday is soon."

"Oh?" Sakura's eyes widened and she looked slightly guilty. They'd never exchanged birthdays. It just hadn't come up. "When is it?"

"Sunday," said Sasuke. He frowned, "Hey... that's also the start of the festival. Scary, huh? That means he was born the night Kyuubi attacked the village."

When the pair returned to Sakura's bedroom that night, he hadn't moved an inch. Sasuke tried to cheer him up.

"Whatcha wanna do for your birthday, Naruto?" he asked. "Ramen? I'll treat you."

"Still one day to go," the blonde muttered with a slight grimace.

"Okay!" Sakura snapped, folding her arms. "This is ridiculous. What're you so down for? You ought to be excited for your birthday, not acting like you're attending a funeral!"

Naruto glared furiously at her. "Sunday also happens to be the day my parents _died_!"

Sakura reeled back in shock. Darn, she really hadn't thought of that. "AH... I- shit. Damn it. Sorry, Naruto," she said, closing her eyes regretfully. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's fine," Naruto replied shortly. "My birthday has never really been a reason for me to celebrate. Thanks for letting me hole up here for the week."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke frowned, going over his friend's words.

"The villagers..." Naruto told them. "They always get rowdy from the festival. They like to come 'round and throw bricks through the windows, scream _demon_ at me, things like that."

"_They're_ the bloody demons," said Sasuke darkly. "So that's why you're all down?"

Naruto turned back to the seal he was working on, refusing to reply.

"I can't believe they'd make such a reference," Sasuke was saying. "It's a celebration of Kyuubi's defeat! The Yondaime and so many others gave their lives to kill that demon fox."

"Demon..." repeated Sakura. "It's almost like they're taking their anger out on you!"

"Well, it _is_ my birthday," Naruto said bitterly. "Maybe they think I'm its damn reincarnation." He looked up as the front door slammed. Sasuke was staring at the spot Sakura had been.

"Guess she's off to the library," he said.

* * *

><p>Sakura arrived at the library in record time and rushed to the first section she could think of. She ran all the possibilities through her mind as she scanned the shelves.<p>

_Kyuubi... Nine tails...Threats to humankind?_ _Where would I find information on the Kyuubi no Yoko? What is the Kyuubi? A demon, sure... Demons? Are there books on demons in the library? Kyuubi is made of chakra, isn't it? Chakra... Chakra forms..._

Deciding to start as broad as possible, Sakura pulled out a book on chakra and flipped through, searching for anything on chakra forms, huge concentrations of chakra, even the _history _of chakra.

_Chakra dates back to the days of the Rikudo Sennin, a man remembered as the God of Shinobi and creator of ninshuu, _she read. _He is known as such from his heroic defeat of the Juubi in battle, after which he sealed within himself the beast and became the first Jinchuuriki._

The ten-tails? Sakura paused, trying to think what this meant. Were there more tailed beasts beside the Kyuubi? If there was a ten-tails, then shouldn't there be other beasts? And what on earth was a jinchuuriki?

The chapter seemed to gloss over anything more regarding this first reference, so she placed the book back and immediately went searching for another. _Jinchuuriki_. _Power of Human Sacrifice._ If she could find anything on that word, it would surely say something about the tailed beasts. After all, that was what Rikudo Sennin became when he sealed the ten-tails inside himself.

It took her a ridiculously long time searching, but eventually Sakura found what she was looking for. The blasted thing wasn't even in its own book; it was just one paragraph in an unsuspecting volume titled _Legends of Old_.

It was here in Naruto's battered armchair that Sasuke found her, three hours after she'd fled her bedroom. The girl was surrounded by books as usual, but her eyes were glued to the one in her arms. She looked positively spooked.

"Sakura?" the boy called. "What's up?" He watched in surprise as she closed her eyes, swallowed and took a deep breath.

"I think... I think I know why the villagers hate Naruto," she said. "I think I've found it out. Everything."

"Eh?" Sasuke frowned, moving over to see what she was reading. He wasn't prepared for the girl to burst into tears. "Whoa... hey, Sakura-chan. What is it? Tell me!"

"He's a jinchuuriki," she wailed softly. "He's a damn jinchuuriki!"

"_What?"_ Sasuke grabbed the book from her lap and scanned for the word.

"Kuso! _Kuso_... T-that's why they all h-hate him. That's why they call him a _demon_."

Sasuke had turned ashen as he read the passage. "But..." he hesitated, "if a jinchuuriki has a tailed beast sealed inside them, that means-"

"He's the Kyuubi jinchuuriki."

"How can you be so certain?" the Uchiha demanded. "This can't be right! The Yondaime killed the Kyuubi!"

Sakura pointed to the stack of books in front of her. "I've read all about the tailed beasts. You can't kill them. They have no real body; they're just huge concentrations of chakra. They have to be sealed. That's why jinchuuriki exist."

"But why is it _Naruto_?"

"You've seen how the villagers treat him," Sakura sniffed. "Like he's the Kyuubi reincarnated. Jinchuuriki are always treated like he is. They're total outcasts because everyone fears them. That book also mentioned how they have special abilities depending on their tailed beast. I've no idea what they could be, but Naruto has that crazy healing ability."

"That's true," said Sasuke. "Plus, he's got tonnes of chakra. That's weird, too."

Sakura nodded. "That was another thing. Jinchuuriki are chakra monsters and can wield a crazy amount of power. They're used as weapons by the major hidden villages to keep the peace."

"Kuso. How're we gonna tell him this?"

"I don't even want to tell him," said Sakura miserably. "But we've got to."

* * *

><p>The pair found Naruto back in the Haruno house still looking upset, but he glanced up in acknowledgement as they appeared at the door.<p>

"How was the library?" he asked dully. "Find anything good?"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, willing him to start the conversation. She herself had no idea where to begin. The Uchiha seemed to be most at ease in these situations. She moved to the bed and sat, head in her hands, staring at the opposite wall.

Naruto shifted his gaze to the girl and frowned in concern. "Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" he asked.

"Naruto," said Sasuke, grabbing his attention. "We found out about something at the library."

"Eh?"

"About the villagers. Why they treat you so badly."

The silence was palpable, interrupted only by the creak of the bed as Sakura lay back on the pillows.

"Why?" he asked in a small voice.

* * *

><p><strong>They've finally found out the truth!<strong>

**Look forward to the next chapter. Should be out soon.**

**Thanks for reading! Criticism welcome.**

**-Charlie**


	4. The Boy and the Seal

**Welcome, welcome!**

**First of all, I'd like to thank you all for your reviews and support. They really are encouraging! I value your input, so if you've got a suggestion for the story, head on over to the review section. Let me know what you think.**

**Another note: I don't have a beta. I edit all my own work, but occasionally I'll miss something! If you see stuff that's incorrect, please let me know and I'll fix that up. Now... without further ado:**

**Here's Chapter 4.**

**Warning: some bad language/ major AU**

**Disclaimer: why**

Chapter 4 - The Boy and the Seal

"...I see," Naruto said as he stared at the floor, fists clenched. "That sure does explain a lot."

"It explains everything, actually," said Sakura sadly. She watched as her friend's face turned to one of anger.

"That bastard... Hokage-jiji. He _knew_ all along," he said darkly. "He never told me why people treated me badly! Here was I... thinking everyone hated _me_, when really they hate what's _inside _me... and they think the beast _is_ me. But I swear-"

"Naruto," Sasuke was suddenly beside him and a hand rested on his shoulder. "You don't have to prove anything to us. We know you're not Kyuubi," he reassured with a light smile. "If you're a jinchuuriki, you've got the beast sealed within you. You're completely different beings, so... you'll always be you."

The blonde looked down in reply, but seemed to loosen up a little. "So... Only one way to prove this, I guess," he sighed. "Sakura-chan? Where would they place the seal, do you know?"

The girl shook her head. "No idea. I doubt they'd put it on a limb, though. That sounds a bit stupid, sealing a tailed beast on someone's arm," she reasoned.

"Uh... right," said Naruto. He tugged his shirt off. "If I were a seal... where would I hide?" he chuckled rather bitterly. _Oh well... abdomen first._ He channelled chakra to his middle and stared in surprise as the beginnings of a large and very intricate-looking seal appeared. _Bingo_.

"Kuso," he muttered. "Jinchuuriki status: confirmed."

"Shit," said Sasuke in an impressed tone. "That's a seal."

"Wow. This is so complex, I can barely follow what's going on," said Naruto. "O'course... I'm looking at it upside down here."

Sakura moved off the bed to inspect the seal, her eyes wide. "That's the most complex array I've ever seen!" she cried. "Who on earth created this?"

"I'm guessing the Yondaime did," said Sasuke. "They say he killed the Kyuubi. He must've sealed it away inside you instead."

"I think I remember reading about him," said Sakura. "He was a seal master, so this isn't really surprising."

Naruto continued to study the seal upside down, tracing various dots and lines with shaky fingers. "This is what keeps the village safe, then? These lines. This seal."

"Assholes," said Sasuke after a minute. "You're right. Jinchuuriki... a living sacrifice. Because Kyuubi is sealed in you, they can be safe, but they don't understand that."

"I hadn't really thought of that," Sakura admitted. "In a way, you're a saviour for this village. You protect them, just like the Hokage."

Naruto smiled slightly and tugged his shirt back over his head, but not before taking one last look at the seal. "Sure... thanks," he murmured. "At least now I know the truth."

* * *

><p>With the disclosure the discovery brought, Naruto was able to last out the Kyuubi festival with relative ease. He avoided the outside world for the entire week, instead choosing to mooch around Sakura's house and occasionally accept a few words of encouragement. He didn't want to think about the state of his apartment. He could only hope they'd realised he wasn't home and taken their destructive tendencies elsewhere.<p>

The trio had talked briefly about going to the Hokage to talk about Naruto's status, but figured they'd wait until after the festival blew over. Naruto didn't seem too keen about it anyway. He got a rather resentful look about him whenever the Sandaime was mentioned.

The final day marked the return of Sakura's parents. They arrived spontaneously on the doorstep at around midday, laden with bags. Sakura herself was surprised, having not expected them for another week, but welcomed them home nonetheless before rushing upstairs to inform Naruto.

The blonde grew white, clearly not having considered the consequences of the Haruno family discovering him, and started packing up his stuff immediately.

"Naruto... _no!_" Sakura hissed, pulling him back. "I'm going to talk to them about this. They'll understand. I'll make them!"

"Doesn't change things. I need to leave."

"_No!_" she insisted. "I'm... I'm _not _letting you go back there and live alone. You're staying right here," she said with finality.

"Sakura-chan, I can't do that!" snapped Naruto. "They'll know about me. I doubt they'd be happy with us being _associated_, let alone-"

"Shut up!" she cried, and Naruto was suddenly enveloped in a hug. He reeled back slightly, shocked that the tiny girl should do such a thing. "We've just found this out about you. I'm not letting you leave."

"I... err..." The blonde was unsure how to respond, but luckily his friend quickly broke the hug and stepped back, looking guilty.

"Sorry," she said.

"No... It's fine," he gave her a tiny smile.

"Sakura?" a concerned voice floated up the stairs. "What's going on?" The pair looked at each other.

"I'll go talk to my parents," said Sakura. "Stay right here. Don't you dare go home," she threatened.

* * *

><p>Haruno Akio wanted nothing more than a cup of tea. Tea soothed the soul – particularly a travelling one such as hers. She'd spent the past nine hours on a cart, riding down the dusty roads of Hi no Kuni and putting up with a considerable degree of motion sickness. Her husband, Jin, seemed a little less worse for wear, but she supposed he was used to it all.<p>

It came as a slight surprise when Sakura had answered the door, half asleep and dressed in _pyjamas_, no less. She had briefly wondered what on earth her daughter's habits had turned to.

Then she'd gotten inside, placed her bags down and caught a smattering of conversation drifting down from upstairs. Had her daughter invited friends over? Akio knew she had some, but in the few months before they'd departed for the capital, she'd had no chance to meet them.

"Kaa-san?"

Akio spun around to see her daughter at the base of the stairs. "Sakura-chan! I'm home!" she smiled and rushed to envelop the girl in a bone-crushing hug.

"I'm glad you're home," Sakura replied with a smile.

"You've got a friend over, I hear?" Akio asked. "I've just _got_ to meet them. Why don't you bring her down and I'll make you some snacks?"

"I... um, Kaa-san, I wanted to talk to you. And Tou-san."

Akio just looked surprised. Talk? At that moment, Haruno Jin appeared from the pantry, having heard the last line.

"What's this about, Sakura?" he asked sternly.

Sakura took a deep breath before starting to explain. "Well... I've got a friend who's been staying here for this past week," she said. "And... on and off since you've left."

"Oh," her father chuckled, "You've been having sleepovers?"

"Jin! She's clearly serious about this," said Akio. "Love, what's wrong? You know we don't mind your friends staying here."

Sakura steeled her features. "I'm being like this because I don't know how you'll react. Most people, including some of your friends, I imagine, treat him like dirt for something he has no control over."

Akio froze. Did she just say _he_?

"Sakura, bring your friend down," Jin sighed. She stared at him for a moment, and then disappeared back up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Sakura's parents seemed to take the news better than most, though when she'd first brought Naruto downstairs they'd been shocked and disappointed in their daughter. Of course, this was before the girl had any chance to explain the true situation to them, a conversation had in hushed whispers for fear of being overheard.<p>

"Where did you get this information?" Akio demanded. "How can you be sure? You're being reckless with your life, Sakura."

"I am _not_!" she snapped. "A kunoichi would face _far worse_ in her lifetime. This is all from the library, and it makes perfect sense! Naruto is clearly not who everyone believes him to be. He's got that seal to prove it."

"And you say he's been living alone all this time? He's six years old!" hissed Jin. "What's the Hokage thinking?"

Akio pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to wrap her head around the situation. She flinched when her husband placed a warm hand on her shoulder.

"Sakura," he said, turning his daughter. "If you truly believe what you say, I'm prepared to stand by you."

His wife rounded on him. "What are you saying, Jin? Do you know what this would mean for us, to let him stay? We might be able to hide it, but not forever! The news will spread like wildfire and before we know it, we'll be.. we'll be..."

"Enough," he said, pulling his wife into a hug. "We've met him, and he was ever so polite. I can't help but feel he's been misjudged. Going by what Sakura has said, the demon is not part of him. He _contains_ it to keep the village safe."

"I don't even know why we're having this conversation!" Akio continued. "It's forbidden! We could be executed for this!"

Sakura felt the blood drain from her face. So that was why...?

"There's a law?" she guessed. "Is it forbidden to speak of?"

"Yes, you're right," her father said. "After the attack, there was an insurrection by the civilians to kill Naruto, so the Sandaime passed a law. Nobody is to speak the truth on pain of death, barring the Hokage and Naruto himself, of course."

"We always wondered..." Sakura trailed off.

"Akio," Jin said to her softly. "I'm prepared to let him stay here, just a few days, and see how it goes. He's obviously been living in a terrible state. I've seen what the other villagers do to his flat. We can't let him live alone. It's _wrong_."

Akio eventually caved, though still remained unimpressed and even a little fearful. Sakura thanked her father profusely and then ran back upstairs to find Naruto, who'd been cowering in her room since the confrontation.

The first evening passed as awkwardly as anticipated. Haruno Jin was as natural as ever, asking Naruto all about the academy, how he'd come to meet his daughter, and the things they liked to do together. Akio seemed to settle down after that, and began to realise she was proud of her daughter for what she'd done.

"...and when I first started at the academy, my reading really wasn't so good! But Sakura-chan really helped me! She helped Sasuke too. She really is clever," Naruto was saying.

Jin shot a proud smile at his daughter, who blushed and turned back to her curry. "What's your favourite subject, Naruto?" he asked, turning back to the blonde.

"Oh! I love fuuinjutsu," he said immediately, much to their surprise. "They don't teach it in the academy, though. It's really complicated, so I usually ask Sakura-chan when I don't understand something."

Sakura beamed next to him. "He likes to say that, but sealing really is beyond me. I'm sure he'll become a master, just like the Yondaime. It's in his blood, after all."

Akio looked up in surprise. "What is your heritage, Naruto?"

The blonde looked to his friend, who shrugged. "Eto... I'm from the Uzumaki Clan," he admitted. "They were widely known for their knowledge of fuuinjutsu." As expected, his confession drew blank looks. "They were from Uzushiogakure, but my mother was the only one who lived in Konoha."

"I should love to meet another," Akio said. "Though I've never heard of your family, as I know very few ninja."

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto said suddenly. "Remember what we read about? About the Har-"

"Oh!" said Sakura in surprise. "Kaa-san, Tou-san! I found our name in a book about ninja clans."

"What do you mean?" Akio frowned, "There have never been any ninja in our family, you know that."

"Actually, that's just what I was told," said Jin. "For all we know, we could be a branch family that traces back many generations."

"Hear that?" Naruto grinned at the pink-haired girl. "Maybe you really are from a legendary clan!"

* * *

><p>After telling Sasuke of what had occurred, the Uchiha had expressed his relief that Naruto would no longer be subjected to such loneliness. As he'd confided to Sakura, he'd been growing concerned with the state of the boy's living conditions. Naruto wasn't exactly the tidiest ninja on earth, and his diet was absolutely appalling. Hopefully, staying with the Haruno family would fix that.<p>

The remaining two months passed relatively quickly after these events, and (after much waiting) the graduation exam had finally arrived. Naruto was ecstatic. Of course, he was still unable to make a suitable bunshin, but he hoped they'd overlook that if he aced everything else. If not... well, he'd probably just have to give them a piece of his mind.

On the morning of the exam, the trio arrived at the testing classroom as they'd been instructed. They were easily the youngest there; nobody else from their class was taking the test, and everyone else in the graduating class was over ten.

"Oi you!" a mean looking kid commanded their attention as they entered the room. "Get out. This is for the graduating class_ only_."

"We got told to come here," Naruto retorted, heading to the back of the room and away from the kid. "Are you really trying to bully us?"

"There's no _way_ you're taking the exam, you liars!" another kid said accusingly. "Get out before Iruka-sensei comes back."

Naruto and Sasuke ignored their complaints and took seats, while Sakura just looked annoyed.

"Can't wait for taijutsu, then," one boy giggled. "Gonna _kick some ass_!" He was silenced when Sakura marched up to him and stared him down.

"Are you picking a fight?" she demanded.

"Yep," chuckled the boy, sure of himself. "Bring it on, little bitch."

The unfortunate kid had barely blinked before he was on the floor, struggling to breath from the knee that dug harshly into his back. He felt a burning sensation under his chin and looked up to see a hand by his neck, bathed in an ethereal green glow.

"Call me that again, insult any of my friends again and I'll do much more than embarrass you," Sakura hissed fiercely.

"Whoa... shit, woman. Get off me!"

He got an elbow in the nose for that comment. Luckily, at this point their sensei had returned, or the fight may have turned far worse (if Sakura's face was anything to go by).

"No fighting!" Iruka yelled when he arrived and caught sight of the rabble. "If you pass today, you'll be ninja. Sort out your differences and grow up!"

A group of angry-looking kids (clearly the boy's friends) shot glares at the trio, and Naruto returned the favour with a rude gesture. Sasuke simply shook his head.

The graduation exam was split into three segments: a written exam, a taijutsu spar and a practical ninjutsu exam, in which they had to display their aptitude for the three E-rank academy jutsu.

The written turned out to be a bit of a joke – for Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke, anyway. It made the blonde feel quite incredulous. Was this really the standard to become a ninja? He guessed that facts really weren't _essential_ to being an effective ninja, but it would make you look stupid if you didn't know things. Plus, knowledge would help on any kind of mission. Naruto handed in his test and prayed Iruka wouldn't pull the same kind of crap as Mizuki-sensei and give him a zero.

Taijutsu and weaponry were next. While Sasuke had gained an earlier tuition from his elder brother, eventually the trio had begun attending advanced classes when they exceeded expectations in the bottom class. Naruto could admit to practicing his aim for hours in the past few months, and trying to get his taijutsu up to an acceptable level.

Sasuke was the one who really excelled in weaponry. He'd dragged them by the ninja supplies store a few weeks earlier and gushed over all the blades, his gaze landing on a particularly deadly-looking chokuto strung up on the wall.

In terms of taijutsu, the boys were just about even, while Sakura was a force to be reckoned with. She lacked basic physical strength, but made up for it by concentrating chakra into her attacks. Along with her knowledge of human anatomy and medical jutsu, she found she was able to use it offensively to efficiently disable an opponent - as she'd so demonstrated earlier that morning.

The final exam took place after the lunch break: the ninjutsu exam. Naruto knew he'd be furious if he wasn't allowed to pass, though the odds were heavily set against him. He knew he'd stuff up the bunshin; that was a given. He was also a great deal younger than the usual graduation age. And then... he was who he was.

From his spot at the back of the class, he watched as one by one, the new graduates left the testing room with their new headbands. Not one had failed so far, and it irked him some. He could tell some of them wouldn't make competent ninja.

When Naruto's name was finally called, he glanced nervously back at his friends. They were both beaming and holding their forehead protectors.

"Make us all proud, Naruto," Sasuke gave a slight chuckle as he wished him luck.

"Well... here goes attempt one," said the blonde. He moved to the testing room next-door, ignoring the occasional jeer from the over-confident graduates around him.

When he entered, he saw Iruka-sensei and Mizuki-sensei behind a long panel. They had a ton of paperwork in front of them and looked exhausted.

"Right, Uzumaki Naruto," said Iruka briskly. "You're going to perform the three academy jutsu you've learned and we'll assess you."

"I... right," said Naruto. He moved to the middle of the room. "Which one first?"

"Henge first," the chuunin replied. "Transform into myself or Mizuki-sensei."

Naruto immediately formed the signs, having done so very frequently before trips down Main Street with Sakura and Sasuke. It was the easiest option if he wanted to enter a shop and not get ripped off or thrown out.

"Henge!" he murmured. The smoke cleared and there stood Iruka, perfect from his scar right down to his battered footwear.

"Great! Let's go with the Kawarimi next."

The blonde looked away from the expectant faces of his sensei and closed his eyes, concentrating on the technique. Though Kawarimi was E-rank, it did not require only a miniscule chakra amount as for Bunshin. Naruto considered this jutsu a fairly useful one, even in a high-level battle; he'd read about jonin escaping death multiple times using it.

"Kawarimi no Jutsu," he muttered. A second later, he opened his eyes to see Mizuki-sensei before him, looking surprised and shocked to be the object of trade. "Heh... heh."

"Nice demonstration, Naruto!" Iruka praised from next to him. "Next we'll see the bunshin."

Naruto cringed as he returned to the floor. How on earth was he getting out of this one? Surely... surely high-level ninja with massive amounts of chakra made use of clones. He'd read about replacement techniques with clones to deceive in a fight. But these wouldn't be _this_ kind of bunshin. This kind of bunshin couldn't be touched! It was just a distraction, a pointless jutsu. What was the point of even needing to know it?

_You know what?_ He thought. _Screw it all. I'm putting as much damn chakra as I want into this jutsu_. _Try to scare them. A six-year-old should _not_ be able to make so many clones._

"Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Naruto opened his eyes to see a room full of strange, vaguely Naruto-like forms. There were so many they'd started sticking themselves to the walls (a handy little chakra exercise he'd learned from Sakura). The two instructors looked at him in shock.

"Naruto... I'm sorry, but you fail." Iruka sighed and started ticking boxes on one of his forms.

"Would you like to know why I can't do this jutsu?" Naruto asked, folding his arms.

Mizuki spoke up immediately. "Your chakra control is abysmal," he diagnosed. "I would suggest-"

"Wrong," said Naruto. "It's because I have too much chakra. It's impossible to pull such a small amount into a stupid little jutsu that's useless on the battlefield anyway. I overloaded it just now because I knew I couldn't do it. Do you really understand how much I've practiced this and how many stupid chakra exercises Sakura-chan gave me? Do you?" he demanded.

Iruka and Mizuki made no reply. The former was looking at him incredulously, shocked that he should be spoken to in such a way, while the latter was clearly furious.

"This whole system is messed up," Naruto continued. "You pass kids to genin just because they can do three stupid jutsu when only one of these is remotely useful in combat. And now you're going to fail _me_ because I can't do some bullshit excuse for a ninjutsu. If this academy tested properly, I know who'd be passing and who'd be failing!" he snapped. He glared at the two instructors for a moment, and then stormed out of the testing room.

Sakura looked up as she heard the door slam and locked eyes with Naruto. He looked _very_ ticked.

"Kuso," she muttered to Sasuke, who glanced up in question.

"No..." he said, catching sight of Naruto. "They didn't pass you?"

"They didn't," Naruto said dully, "And I told them exactly what I thought."

* * *

><p>The Sandaime was having a very good day. All the paperwork was done – for once – and there had been <em>zero<em> mission dramas. He settled back in his chair and lit up his pipe, puffing gently as he stared out the window at the Hokage Monument.

It hadn't been easy to take up the position of Hokage again, but he'd done so graciously. After all, with the death of the Yondaime and so many others in the attack, the village needed a strong leader to guide them back to stability. Just over six years had passed, and Sarutobi couldn't help but smile at how far his village had progressed.

So many new chuunin and jonin had been promoted. Young _Uchiha Itachi_, the pride of his clan and a genius in the ranks, had been sent into ANBU under Hatake Kakashi. The Sandaime chuckled a little sadly. He remembered when they were just kids: _really _kids, and not child prodigies.

A knock at the door jarred him from his thoughts.

"Hokage-sama, three kids are here to see you," his secretary informed him. "I told them you weren't available, but they're not leaving."

"Oh?" said Sarutobi. "Send them in." He looked on in surprise as Naruto and Sasuke entered, followed by another girl their age with bubble-gum pink hair. A civilian child?

"Naruto, Sasuke," he greeted. "Welcome. And this is?"

"Haruno Sakura, Hokage-sama," the girl said, bowing. "I was a student at the ninja academy with Sasuke and Naruto."

The Sandaime blinked. Of course! He'd been informed of the graduating class this year, and of the three extras from the bottom class attempting the exam. He'd known of Naruto and Sasuke; this must be the other.

"I hope you will serve us well in the ranks of Genin," Sarutobi acknowledged.

"That's just it, sir," said Sakura. "Naruto was failed because he could not make the bunshin."

"Couldn't make the bunshin?" the Hokage asked. "That's quite unfortunate, Naruto. I'm very sorry."

"Don't say that, Hokage-jiji!" Naruto spoke up angrily.

Sarutobi seemed to pause for a moment, trying to digest this outburst. "Naruto? Whatever do you mean?"

"You know what I mean!" he snapped. "I can't make the bunshin because I have too much chakra! It's not even my fault and you know it! My chakra control sucks, but it's a damn sight better than anyone in the academy. Don't you _dare_ chalk this up to bad control. I'd like to see you try and make a pointless little bunshin. I've got a ton more chakra than you, anyway!"

Sarutobi froze and ran through the conversation again in his head. Could it really be true? Did Naruto know what he was? What he contained? He sighed wearily; he was definitely getting too old for this.

"Explain," he said, looking Naruto dead in the eye. "What have you found out?" Sarutobi immediately noticed the exasperated look Sakura sent the blonde, who just looked trapped.

"I... um..."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading!<strong>

**Look forward to the next chapter. Should be out soon.**

**-Charlie**


	5. The Ex-ANBU and his Team

**Woo, new chapter!**

**I'd first lke to apologise for the long wait. I've had a lot going on. Thank you all so much for reviewing, too. Your words ****are ****encouraging and they drive me to write. Here I announce... CHAPTER FIVE.**

**Hope you all enjoy. I'm on a break right now, so another chapter should be out very soon.**

**Warning: OOC / some bad language**

**Disclaimer: why**

Chapter 5: The Ex-ANBU and his Team

Eight hours later found the new graduates back in Sakura's bedroom, thoroughly exhausted. It had taken more energy than it should have explaining. Suffice to say, everything had finally worked out.

The Sandaime had been absolutely shocked. Never had it occurred to him that Naruto would discover the truth – at least not at his age. As Sasuke had declared when leaving the tower, he definitely shouldn't have underestimated Haruno Sakura.

To everyone's surprise (and the academy instructors' incredulity) it hadn't taken much convincing at all to let Naruto graduate.

"I'd like to keep you three together," the Sandaime had explained as he drew another breath from his pipe. "You're clearly able to work well together. I'm uncertain as to how your teamwork would fair with an older member. They'd likely disrespect you."

"Well, to be fair, the old man had it right," Naruto reflected later that evening. He'd changed into pyjamas and lay on his futon, an empty mug cradled in his hands. Sakura lazed on her bed, while Sasuke was under his own covers. He'd decided to stay the night since all they'd wanted to do was talk.

"Now we've got team assignments. I wonder who our sensei will be?" wondered Sasuke.

Naruto perked up as an idea came to him. "Hey, maybe Itachi-nii-san?"

"Didn't you say he was in ANBU?" Sakura asked Sasuke.

"ANBU can be easily dismissed from their position," said Sasuke, "but he'd never pick 'Tachi-nii. He's technically only a chuunin."

"Guess we'll get some perverted jonin," said Naruto, unaware as to how correct he really was.

"So how's that jutsu the Sandaime showed you?" Sakura asked, changing the subject.

"_Kage Bunshin_, eh? It's definitely far more useful than a normal bunshin."

Sasuke shrugged, "Well, they're solid for one. You can actually fight with them."

"I remember reading about something like that, actually," revealed Sakura. "The more useful clones, I mean. Water, mud, lightning... then there's shadow. They're far more powerful but they take a ton of chakra to use. That's why they're forbidden, even amongst some jonin."

"Tch, you read about everything."

"Shut up, Naruto!" Sakura snapped. "There's another really good use for them. Whenever they're dispelled, you gain their memories and battle experience. They'd be incredible to train with!"

"EH?"

Sasuke urged him, "Try it out!"

Naruto promptly made a clone, perfect right from the unruly blonde hair to his scruffy pyjamas. "Get outside and dispel!" he ordered.

"Sure... sure, whatever you say," the clone rolled its eyes. The three waited in silence as it disappeared out the window. They heard it dispel in a loud sort of _poof_, and then Naruto himself blinked in realization.

"Eh? I remember everything... Even the part where he landed badly. What an idiot."

"Suge!" cried Sasuke. "I wonder if I can manage that? Probably not, my reserves are still too low."

"They'll only improve with experience," said Sakura.

"Tch, experience. Well... It's 2am, you absolute _idiots_," Sasuke declared. "I'm sleeping and so should you. We're supposed to be at the academy at eight."

"Damn, that's six hours away," said Naruto. "...Oh well. Good night."

"This is normal for us, Sasuke," Sakura told him. "Well... midnight, at least. Not this late."

"Hn."

Sakura chuckled as she shut out the lights and climbed into bed. "Night, you two."

* * *

><p>The jonin regarded his new team with a half-lidded gaze. He wasn't sure what he'd expected from a summoning to the Hokage Tower, but it definitely hadn't been a transfer.<p>

Hatake Kakashi was a twenty-year-old ex-ANBU with gravity-defying silver hair and an unfortunate love for perverted literature. He wore a face-mask and his hitai-ate was slanted such that only his right eye was visible. His demotion from ANBU captain to jonin sensei had left him – in a word – pissed. A regrettable past made him hesitant to tread anywhere near the little genin teams, and now he actually had to train one! While he'd reluctantly accepted the task, his mind was already plotting an escape route. He'd probably just have to fail the brats. That shouldn't be too hard, right?

Yet as he studied the three genin (who were barely out of diapers) and did a double-take at the miniature version of _his own sensei_, he began to doubt his plan. If these kids had managed to graduate at this age, there had to be a reason. Something was up.

"So... you're our sensei?" the dark-haired boy asked. "You don't look like you give a damn."

Kakashi was unfazed. To Sakura, he looked like he was analysing their every move. It was rather unnerving, but he _was _a ninja. A powerful ninja, no doubt.

"You already know each other?" the jonin spoke for the first time. His tone was flat and held no emotion. Did he even have emotions?

"Of course we know each other!" said Naruto. "We're the youngest in the graduation class. Who are you? What's your name?" he asked rather rudely.

"My name... Hatake Kakashi," he said. "What are your names?"

"Don't you know that already?" Naruto demanded. "Well... fine. I'm Uzumaki Naruto," he said proudly.

Sakura rolled her eyes, "Haruno Sakura."

"Uchiha Sasuke," the dark-haired boy said shortly.

Sakura decided to step in and smooth over her friends' rudeness. "How long have you been a ninja, Kakashi-sensei?" she asked.

"Hmm," the jonin appeared to think very deeply. A tick formed on Naruto's brow. _How long does it take to remember when you graduated, baka?_ "This year will be my fifteenth."

"You don't look very old!" Naruto said. "You're a teenager."

"When did you graduate?" asked Sasuke, generally curious. If Kakashi had graduated early like them, it could explain why he was their sensei.

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura said, "From what you've told us, it's pretty obvious you were an early graduate. Perhaps even younger than us, ne?"

"Maa, maa..." Kakashi chuckled, his one visible eye turning up in a smile. Naruto looked caught between disbelief and rolling his eyes as he noted the display of emotion. "You're a curious bunch. But do you have what it takes to be ninja?" he was saying.

"Hey!" snapped Naruto. "We're all six years old! Do you really think we'd be here if we had no skills?"

Kakashi turned serious, fixing them with a calculating gaze. "Yes, that may be the case. But do you have what it takes... to kill?"

Sakura felt a chill run down her spine. The way he said it...

"We should see what you're capable of, I suppose," said Kakashi, looking entirely unenthusiastic. "Meet me on training ground thirteen in an hour."

Sasuke blinked when he disappeared in a whirl of leaves. "A classy exit?" he muttered.

"There's no way he's interested in training us," Sakura declared. "You could just tell. I bet he's been pulled from another position to take a team."

"Ne, Sakura-chan," said Naruto, "Do you know anything about him?"

"Hatake Kakashi?" she asked, frowning. She closed her eyes as she tried to remember. "Oh... yes. He's quite a famous shinobi. He's called _Sharingan no Kakashi_. Got it transplanted, used it to copy over a thousand jutsu... Graduated academy _age five_! Right, we expected that..." she trailed off.

"What's a sharingan?" asked Naruto.

"My family's Kekkei-Genkai. A doujutsu that lets you see chakra flow, gives you very clear perception, those kinds of things," Sasuke explained. "You can use it to predict attacks and see through genjutsu. I didn't know he had it; he must keep it hidden under his hitai-ate. He probably can't turn it off."

"Do _you_ have it?"

"No," Sasuke admitted, looking a little depressed.

"I've read a little about the sharingan," said Sakura, "and it rarely activates before the user has seen battle. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll get it soon."

"Ne, want to get some ramen before meeting sensei?" Naruto asked eagerly. "Let's go! I'm starving."

"Baka! You didn't eat your porridge this morning," Sakura scolded him.

"Yeah, yeah... whatever," the blonde shrugged and grabbed both her arm and Sasuke's. He started dragging them toward the stairs.

"Okay, okay! I'm coming!" the girl said, exasperated. "You shouldn't eat so much ramen."

"You shouldn't eat so many lollies, Sakura-chan!"

"... Hey! Baka!"

"Owww... ouch, Sakura-chan! Let go of me!"

* * *

><p>Naruto grumbled loudly as he lay back in the grass and shielded his face from the sun. "Where is that stupid sensei?" he mumbled.<p>

Sakura looked up from her book on advanced genjutsu. "Told you he had no interest in training us."

The pink-haired genin, after shifting through her memories for the past hour, knew a fair bit about the silver-haired jonin. She was shocked that Konoha would have information about active ninja in its library. Granted, it had nothing on battle techniques (except for the infamous sharingan, of course).

After graduating at age five, Hatake had passed the chuunin exams in Sunagakure a year later, breaking records. His father was the famed _White Fang_ who committed suicide when the boy was seven. He'd trained under the Yondaime Hokage himself and was promoted to jonin at twelve. There was no information regarding the original owner of his sharingan eye, but perhaps this wasn't a widely-known fact.

"Hello there, my cute little genin!" an amused voice broke the silence. Naruto was on his feet in a flash and glaring up into the trees.

"What do you think you're doing, arriving so late?" he demanded. "You told us to meet here two hours ago!"

"I told you he doesn't care," Sakura said blandly. Sasuke did not look up in acknowledgement, focusing on the senbon he twirled in his fingers.

"Well, there was an old lady who needed help with her shopping..." Kakashi was saying.

"Bullshit!" Naruto declared.

"Language, Naruto," Sakura frowned disapprovingly.

"That's bullshit and you know it!" the blonde repeated. "And don't give me that, Sakura-chan. You swear as much as me."

"Maa... enough arguing," Kakashi sighed, jumping down from the tree. There was a jingle as he pulled out two bells. "You're going to have to take these bells from me. This is the real test to becoming genin. There's going to be someone who misses out. That person goes back to the academy." He waited with baited breath for the outburst and was shocked when none came.

The jonin looked from Sasuke, who still hadn't looked up, to Sakura and then to Naruto, who just looked confused. The pink-haired girl spoke up, "So you want us to work together?" she asked.

"That's right," said Kakashi. "But remember, only two of you will get a bell."

"Once again, bullshit," called Naruto. "I've read about genin and they're always in teams of three."

"He's right," said Sakura, closing her book and placing it on the grass beside her. "I'm not going to abandon Naruto or Sasuke. We'll always be a team and we'll go back to the academy together if we have to."

"Are you kidding, Sakura-chan?" demanded Naruto. "I'd rather not. That's why we're gonna pass this stupid test." At the tinkle of bells, he turned to Kakashi. "Bring it on, sensei."

"Come at me with the intent to kill, or you'll never get the bells," Kakashi said gravely.

"Sounds like fun," Sasuke spoke for the first time as he rose to his feet. "What's your plan, Naruto?"

* * *

><p>Kakashi didn't know what to think.<p>

First he'd been reprimanded for arriving two hours late. Well – that wasn't so surprising, but he hadn't expected to be sworn at by a six-year-old, nor had he expected the three young genin to catch on so fast. Then they'd actually started the test and there'd been even more surprises.

Naruto, who was almost certainly his sensei's son, was exceptionally insightful despite his loud and brash exterior. He'd called his friends to the side the moment the test had begun and started forming an attack plan. Kakashi hadn't listened in on their conversation, but their planning definitely showed in what followed. Perhaps he should have.

First, Sasuke had jumped out of nowhere and attacked from close-range with a perfect fireball jutsu. Having worked with his elder brother in ANBU, the jonin was well aware of the skill the Uchiha clan possessed. After distracting him, the boy had then delivered a shower of senbon aimed at his vital points. _How did he even know how to throw them effectively? He was six, for God's sake!_ As the haze from the fire cleared, Sasuke was nowhere to be seen.

A gentle breeze blew through the training ground, stirring up leaves all around. And then a desperate voice had cried out from behind. A voice he never thought he'd hear again.

"Kakashi!" the boy gave a strangled cry. "Kakashi, you... you asshole."

"Obito?!" the jonin looked around desperately, finally spotting a figure by a tree in the forest. The boy was crushed under the roots, as if the tree had grown over him, and his left eye was clamped shut. Blood flowed freely from his wounds.

"Kakashi... I trusted you," the boy hissed angrily as he struggled to breathe. "And you left me to die!"

"No... no, I'm sorry!" the jonin knelt by him, distraught. "I'm so, so sorry. I should have protected you! And sensei. And Rin! But I couldn't... and..."

"You _idiot_! We all blame you. It's all your damn fault!"

Had Kakashi stopped and thought clearly, he'd have immediately recognised the signs of a genjutsu and acted accordingly. Unfortunately, such was the nature of _Narakumi no Jutsu, _forcing victims to live their worst fears. Of course, he'd snapped out of it when Naruto attacked with his wind jutsu, decimating the clearing and hurling Kakashi into the forest. Not only did the kid appear to know his own affinity, he'd done an astonishing amount of damage with it.

When he'd skidded to a halt, alert and back in reality, the three young genin had gathered in the dust and were peering over at him. Then he heard the jingle of bells and frantically checked his belt.

"Sorry, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura said cheerfully as she held them up. "You lose!"

After dismissing the team for the afternoon, Kakashi promptly stormed over to the Hokage's office.

"Why didn't you tell me I'd be taking sensei's son?" he demanded. "I nearly had a heart attack when I saw his face. And do you have any idea what their skill level is? It's high genin, maybe even low to mid-chuunin. Heck, the Haruno girl pulled off a high-level genjutsu and managed to fool me!"

Sarutobi chuckled, his eyes twinkling. "I was not aware of their level of skill, but I understand Sakura has a love for books. Frankly, this does not surprise me. You're passing them, I suppose?"

"I wouldn't fail them," Kakashi said. "They work incredibly well together. They got the bells from me in under five minutes."

"Five?" the Sandaime asked in surprise. "Are you sure you weren't going easy on them?"

"No!" Kakashi snapped. "Although... I didn't use the sharingan. If I had, they might have failed."

"What are your plans for them?" Sarutobi asked.

"Well," said Kakashi. "When you think about that, it's not so hard. Naruto has the potential to be an excellent heavy-hitter. Sasuke... well, he's your typical Uchiha, but he impressed me with his weaponry. Perhaps we should get him a blade... I could ask Gekko Hayate to train him."

"What you say has potential," Sarutobi said as he considered. "And Sakura?"

"That girl is incredibly perceptive. When I arrived this morning, she was reading from a textbook and only really turned away from it to tell off Naruto and tell me the point of the test," Kakashi informed him. "She seems to know a lot about genjutsu, and I'd take a stab in the dark and say that's not the only field she's familiar with."

* * *

><p>The weeks – and soon months - passed, and Kakashi was beginning to wonder just how far these kids would go. D-rank missions had not gone down well with the team. Oh, they worked wonderfully well together, but the constant whining from Naruto made the jonin nervous he'd do something destructive. The boy, since annihilating a good portion of their training ground, had very much taken to wind jutsu; Kakashi had spied on the blonde and Sakura in her bedroom and seen Naruto engrossed in a scroll of advanced-looking techniques. It was an odd sight.<p>

Sasuke had also exceeded expectations. He'd turned up to their very first training session with a chokuto strapped to his back. Of course, learning to wield it effectively was another matter entirely, but the boy was improving at an impressive pace.

It was Sakura, really, who had impressed Kakashi the most. Medical jutsu and chakra-enhanced strength? She was like the second Tsunade! The jonin had never met her, but he'd heard enough from the rumour mill about her fearsome abilities. Hopefully, the pink-haired genin wouldn't develop that unfortunate gambling addiction as well.

What really took the cake were the events of a mission taken in late June the following year. The team were on an escort to Kusa, and it hadn't been going very eventfully.

Their client was a middle-aged man who wore a pristine tuxedo and insisted they walk at the slowest pace possible to avoid getting dirty. Naruto thought he was an idiot; they were on the roads of _Hi no Kuni_, for Kami's sake! With all the dust they kicked up with every step, getting even a little dirty was a given. Not to mention they were travelling for five days with no spring in sight. When the heat settled in on the second day, the trio of genin kept things light with the occasional suiton jutsu ambush, whilst also concentrating on their training.

As usual, Sakura had her nose in a book – _The Ancient Arte of Healing_. She used her peripheral vision to stay on-track with the group. As the two boys observed with amusement (and with a teasing air), the girl never actually looked up from the pages – even when Sasuke decided to throw senbon at her.

The Uchiha was never seen these days without some kind of weapon in his hands. He would twirl senbon around his fingers, spin kunai on his palm and occasionally finger the hilt of the chokuto. Of course, as soon as an excuse was found, they'd be out of his possession and stuck in whatever target he'd chosen. His teammates had become accustomed to these random attacks and now felt they were quite apt at dodging. This was not claimed before they were hit several times, however. Kakashi could even admit to being caught by a lone senbon; whether he _would_ was another matter indeed.

Meanwhile, Naruto had turned to experimenting with a wide range of techniques. Most of these were fuuton jutsu; he'd found out about his affinity after Sakura read about chakra paper and managed to sneak some from a big box at the ninja supplies store.

Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, his second affinity was fire. Katon affinities were fairly common in Hi no Kuni, as evidenced by clans like the Uchiha. Sasuke's second affinity was also fire, right after lightning. They were an odd combination and you probably couldn't combine them, but individual techniques that evoked "mass destruction" (as Naruto dubbed it) were not out of the question.

From Naruto's perspective, _Katon _and _Fuuton_ techniques were absolutely _wicked_, especially when combined. It took some considerable concentration and more chakra exercises than it should have to light up a katon jutsu and simultaneously put wind into it. Worse, at first he could only really manage it large-scale, resulting in several burned-out clearings around the training ground. The ANBU, if they were watching, had kindly refrained from commenting.

Six months after these disastrous events, the blonde had toned it down to a more manageable size. He had yet to actually show anyone besides Sakura and Sasuke, but he figured Kakashi-sensei and the Hokage already knew about his new exploits anyway.

As their fifth day on the roads of Hi no Kuni drew to a close, everyone was at their wits' end. Naruto was positively giddy with boredom and had started aiming weak jutsu at the others in their party for attention; he hadn't run in days his energy was at a dangerous high. Sasuke had begun to attack Naruto back, glad for a willing target. And Sakura, of course, was still reading. So was Kakashi, though nobody really wanted to know the subject if the occasional perverted giggle he let slip was anything to go by.

As per their usual routine, the team made camp in a suitable clearing off-road. As per their usual routine, their client (who they now knew as _Takohoshi-san_, or perhaps _Takohoshi -teme )_ complained. And as per their usual routine, Kakashi and their client went to bed, leaving the trio of genin sitting together, the eerie light of the fire flickering across their gloomy faces.

"Does this stink? Or does this stink..." Naruto muttered as he ran chakra-covered fingers through the tips of the flames.

Sakura gave a colossal yawn and looked up from her book. "You're looking at this in entirely the wrong perspective," she informed him. "This is actually a good time to learn and train."

"Yeah... well, the only thing I can really do is chakra exercises. Everything I have in my arsenal is large-scale, and I can't really make seals while I'm walking."

"Sucks," said Sasuke.

"Shut up," Naruto snapped. "I want some action! Walking around after that stupid tuxedo guy better be ending soon."

The blonde continued to look grumpy, and they lapsed back into silence. A silence that was... well, _too silent._ It was Sasuke who noticed it first.

His hands twitched toward his kunai pouch and he stiffened ever-so-slightly. Perhaps this was simply that same battle instinct he'd obtained through heritage. Sakura, though she did not sense any abnormal presence, was very apt at reading her friend and noticed the signs immediately. She glanced over at Naruto, but the blonde was still too absorbed in sulking to have noticed.

_How many?_ She mouthed subtly to Sasuke.

_Just one, _he muttered back_._

_Level?_

Sasuke stiffened a little more and stared at her with wide eyes. The depth he appeared to sense was almost unnerving to Sakura, who couldn't sense a thing around her unless she purposely scanned the area for chakra signatures. Even then, she was pretty hopeless. Sasuke seemed to be an absolute natural in tracking. _Jonin... _

Sakura's eyes darted to Kakashi, who slept silently with his back to the fire. She was sure he'd wake up at the slightest abnormal sound, but they were still in terrible danger if their observer wasn't so friendly.

"Hey... Sakura-chan, can you show me that other chakra exercise you said you'd teach me?" Naruto suddenly asked.

"Oh, Naruto," Sakura looked back at her blonde friend, subtly moving her fingers to her kunai pouch. "Sure... but not now. I'm really quite tired-"

She was interrupted from her further excuses when Sasuke shot to his feet and battered away a well-aimed kunai. This was followed up by an onslaught of shuriken, shocking Naruto from his sulk and forcing the whole team into action.

"Show yourself!" Sasuke commanded, still clutching the kunai. "Who are you?!"

Kakashi was up as soon as the confrontation began, much to Sakura's relief. Unfortunately, their client had also woken and any attempt by the silver-haired jonin to placate him was unsuccessful.

"What's going on?" Takohoshi demanded, his eyebrow twitching. "I told you not to disturb my sleep and look what you did!"

"Takohoshi-san, we have a... _situation_," Kakashi explained.

"The world had better be ending if you wake me!"

Sakura was growing impatient with the man and longed to slap him, perhaps even with chakra-enhancement for extra benefit. "We've been discovered here by an unknown third party!" she rounded on their client. "I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut before he starts attacking us and we _all_ die."

"Your job is to protect me," Takohoshi said smugly. "Are you saying you can't do that?"

"Takohoshi-san," Kakashi addressed their client gravely. "You hired us. This is a C-ranked mission, and my team are more than capable of protecting you."

A tick formed on the fat man's brow, "Are you kidding me? This is what I've been worried about," he hissed. "They can't be older than seven! What more could they do than cry?"

"Teme," growled Naruto. "Say that again!"

"Enough, Naruto," said Kakashi. He turned to the source of the angst. "You there... come out. State your intentions, friendly or otherwise." No sound was made, but a figure was suddenly before them, partially hidden in the gloom.

"I do not seek to harm every one of you, only to complete my mission," an emotionless voice said. Kakashi stiffened. _He's after someone. Takohoshi? Probably... Or perhaps Naruto? Has the secret gotten out? Kuso! Kuso..._

"Your mission?" asked Sakura curiously.

"My mission," the figure confirmed gravely as he slowly unsheathed his sword. "You, Haruno Sakura, heir of the great Haruno Clan."

* * *

><p><strong>Ooooh, snap! Thought I'd end it here for a good ol' cliffhanger!<strong>

**I've also been considering writing an omake or two at the end of each chapter. Lightens things up, y'know? If you'd like this or have any suggestions/feedback for the story, head on over to the reviews. **

**Look forward to the next chapter. As always, thanks for reading!**

**-Charlie**


	6. The Girl and the Whispers

**Wassup everyone! Sorry it's been a while. Had to focus on finals.**

**Warning: Heaps of Sakura in this chapter. She's a main character and I need to tell her story! Make way, folks.**

**I'll probably be making some minor edits later on. It's 2am and I don't trust my brain at this hour, but I really wanted to get this chapter out tonight (or this morning... whichever way you look at it)!**

**Hope you enjoy! I've tried to clarify things as well as I can. Please head on over to reviews if you have any suggestions on how I can improve or ideas for the story, or just to tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: why**

Chapter 6

The Girl and the Whispers

All things considered, Uzumaki Naruto valued his friendships more than anything else in the entire world. It was Sasuke, Sakura-chan and her family who rescued him from his loneliness, became his friend and treated him as an equal. They had given him a hope for the future and a dream to protect. He couldn't thank them enough.

And while Sasuke was without a doubt his closest friend, Sakura-chan was something different. After moving in with the Haruno family and spending most of his time with the girl, she was almost akin to a sibling. And their relationship, while it was valuable to both, was not without bickering, particularly regarding annoying habits.

By her introverted nature, Sakura loved to 'hole up in her cave' (as coined by Sasuke) with the lights dimmed, a book on her lap and a mug of tea cradled in her hands. Though Naruto now slept in a room of his own, he found himself pulling her curtains and throwing the window open every time he entered Sakura's. As it were, this happened very frequently. She also seemed to get on his nerves every time she referred to books to justify her arguments. You couldn't hold a debate with her literature. It was _law_.

Naruto was quite the opposite in many regards; he was loud, pined for attention and although he also appreciated books, could not understand his friend's obsession. What was so great about reading, anyway? Why not learn a bunch of wicked techniques? He did know, however, that the pink-haired girl found certain things _he _did frustrating. His tendency to act before thinking, for one. He'd nearly set her bed on fire with a seal after getting impatient.

And yet with all their differences, the pair made a good team. Throw Uchiha Sasuke into the mix and you might just have some potential.

Upon discovering the Haruno clan the previous year, Naruto had been too young to understand the significance aside from possibly awakening a 'wicked bloodline' (with which to 'decimate enemy ninja'). Even now, as he stood in the forest, he was sure he didn't fully understand it. He himself had a clan, but they'd learnt months ago of Uzu's demise. The Haruno clan? There was no confirmation of extinction; although they were a very old clan, there had to be a surviving force somewhere. But what did this mean for Sakura-chan?

For the first time, the blonde genin considered the _real_ implications. There were survivors, and for such a great clan, there _had_ to be shinobi among them. Did Sakura-chan's new status as a ninja of Konoha place her in contact with them? Would she be forced into some grand family reunion? Could she possibly awake the feared bloodline? Would... would clan rivals be out for her blood? As he stared at the figure in the trees before them and heard its proclamations, the boy was sure this last one was fact.

The silence in the forest was palpable. Naruto was sure his thumping heart could be heard all over the elemental nations. He shifted his gaze to Sakura, the girl who had become a sister, friend and confidant. Her shoulders were tensed and her knuckles white as she stood in a fighting stance, clutching her kunai.

"Sakura?" came Kakashi's worried voice. "What is he talking about?"

"Sakura-chan is heir to a clan, Kaka-sensei," Sasuke told him as he moved protectively in front of the girl, "and clearly, someone's out to nail every single one of them."

"You are wrong," said the intruder, turning his attention to Sasuke. "I merely ask your friend to accompany me to my destination. We will not harm her. _However..._ should you resist, it will be another story indeed."

"You..." Naruto spat, finally finding his words. "If you think we're just going to let her go, you're insane."

"_Naruto..._" Kakashi said warningly.

"Shut up, Kaka-sensei!" the boy snapped, too wound up to consider his disrespect. "Bastard... _don't you lay a finger on my sister_!"

Two things happened: one, every member of the team turned to gaze at Naruto in shock. And secondly, as if to test this statement, the figure moved.

In a flash he was in front of them, his katana expertly blocked by the straight blade of a chokuto. Sasuke glared at him fiercely as he struggled under the weight. "No... you... don't!" he hissed.

The intruder, now visible to all, broke contact and jumped back into a crouch, grinning sadistically. He was male and wore standard ninja attire under a plain black, hooded cloak. No hitai-ate was to be seen, but that didn't mean a thing. He may have been rogue, but shinobi on highly secretive missions often wore no insignia at all.

The shinobi chuckled as he slowly rose. "You certainly have some guts, kid. If I wasn't on an important assignment, I'd probably give you a spar."

"Ass," said Sasuke. "I have a chokuto. _You _wield a katana." The man seemed to shrug, before turning his gaze on Kakashi.

"Ah... _Sharingan no Kakashi_," he said mockingly. "Glad I could have the pleasure."

Takohoshi, meanwhile, was crapping himself. He tugged warily on the supervising jonin's sleeve, trying to get his attention. "W-who is this man?" he demanded. "What does he want with us? What does he want with that girl?"

"I don't know," Kakashi admitted. "I don't recognise him from any bingo book, but you can be damn sure that whatever he wants... isn't good."

Naruto stared at the man with fierce determination in his eyes. _No... no, he's not getting Sakura-chan! I won't let it happen. I _won't. Closing his eyes, he felt his chakra flowing, swirling, spitting with anticipation.

Though it was hard to admit, Naruto wasn't a physically strong ninja. His techniques mainly revolved around ninjutsu rather than taijutsu, placing him in the mid-range offensive category. Regardless of all the bouncing around from his endless energy, he had a light build and was sure that without any training he'd have been the weediest kid on the block. His diet, until recent months, had consisted of the cheapest food money could buy: cup ramen. His growth was stunted as a result. He'd be damned if he let that stop him now.

"Teme," Naruto growled as he shifted into a fighting stance. "I will _bust your ass_! Fuuton: Kaze no Hane!"

Wind chakra began to circle around his hands as two long, piercing blades grew from them. Kakashi raised one eyebrow; a pure wind-chakra formation? _This kid is definitely going places_, he thought.

_Oh yeah..._the blonde let a tiny smile show as he admired his handiwork (three months worth, mind). He was unsure whether Kakashi knew about this one, but he'd only really practiced it in his bedroom and occasionally in a secluded area of the training ground.

Needless to say, though the chakra control required for this was abominable considering his reserves and there was a definite need for improvement, they were functional – and hopefully would do for now. Naruto let loose a battle cry as he charged.

The intruder bore a look of absolute surprise before the blades nearly sliced his left hand off. Then he snapped into action, bearing a grin and feeling positively giddy with anticipation. "Brat!" he hissed, turning back to block another strike.

Sasuke, meanwhile, was standing stock still. His only movement came from his hands, which unconsciously fingered a pair of senbon. He hadn't been surprised that their first few missions would be absolutely devoid of action, but when the gardening, babysitting and tracking down that wretched cat had stretched out over months – well! That was just irritating. The boy was sure Itachi hadn't done such a thing with _his _team. Perhaps the Hokage was less reluctant to send them out of the village?

Considering Naruto's jinchuuriki status, he felt he understood a little more. Until the boy could control himself (and defend himself), there was a risk of discovery and capture. The Hokage would have none of that. There was also the matter of civilian opinion; it was frowned upon for young ninja to take higher-ranked missions, simply because the greater population viewed them as children, not adults. Therefore, it just so happened that this mission – this _moment_ – was their very first _real_ combat experience.

Was he prepared? Sasuke shook his head to clear it. No – you could train all you liked, but you could never fully prepare yourself for real situations like this. That confidence came from experience, of which they had none. His blonde friend jumped back from making contact and landed next to him, slightly winded.

"You got a plan?" Sasuke hissed.

"Nope," said Naruto as he eyed his opponent. His gaze was calculating. "Just testing the waters..." he turned to look at Sakura, who was slowly coming to her senses.

"You okay?" Sasuke asked the girl, speaking for both of them.

"Of course I'm not okay!" she snapped.

"All right... let's calm down," Naruto said, placing a hand on her arm. "This really ain't so bad, right? Pretend it's a training exercise."

"It's not-"

"Just don't think about it!" he insisted. "Both of you, formation C. Kakashi'll keep Takohoshi-teme out of this. Sakura..." he trailed off, glancing at Sasuke for support.

"Try not to get close to him," Sasuke advised their pink-haired teammate. "That's exactly what he wants."

**&.&.&.&**

Sakura was sure to keep away from the fight. She was shocked and confused that someone was after her and hung back under the guise of protecting their client. Unfortunately, this didn't seem to be enough.

Her teammates were five minutes into the fight when she felt a searing hot pain explode in her side. Takohoshi yelped as he felt her blood spray up his arm, then paled at the sight of its source.

"At-Attack!" he screamed, backing away. "We're under attack!"

Sakura's vision clouded and for a few terrifying moments, she could not make sense of the world. She felt nothing and heard nothing. Then she was on the ground, keeling over and coughing up blood as the dark flashes that blocked her sight slowly receded. Her heart-rate surged as she whipped her head around, searching for any further danger, all the while trying to grasp at her chakra to begin a desperate attempt at healing. She managed to coat her hands in chakra and searched for the best place to start. The girl grew more and more desperate as blood continued to pool out, soaking her lightweight top; the more she lost, the more her concentration wavered and the more imprecise her applications became. Thirty seconds in, she fumbled and lost control.

"K-kuso..." she cursed as the ethereal-green light faded from her hands.

"Sakura!" Sasuke skidded to a halt beside her. It seemed Takohoshi's calls had not been in vain. "Nooooo no no no no..."

"Hic... Sasu-" the pink-haired genin choked on her words as she coughed up more blood. "N-Naruto?"

"He's still fighting. Sakura... hey!" he gently slapped her cheek as her eyes became unfocused. "Stay with me!"

"Where... Na-ru-to?" she spluttered between coughs.

"Kaka-sensei's fighting alongside him," Sasuke was saying, "and you know how well he heals. He's fine... hey, oi! Eyes on me."

Sakura's concentration wavered as she tried to focus on the boy. She was losing a lot of blood – that she knew – and wouldn't last much longer if she couldn't heal. Pooling her chakra, she fought to stay conscious. Sasuke had his hand over her gaping chest wound, trying to contain her losses.

"I don't know any medical jutsu," he said. "Can you mould chakra?"

"N-no," Sakura managed. "I can... barely..."

"Okay, okay! Don't talk. Did you teach Naruto anything at all?"

"Doesn't... need."

"What about Kyuubi?" he asked in a hushed whisper. "Can we somehow transfer...?"

Sakura managed to shake her head. "No... toxic."

Naruto, meanwhile, was in a bind. His left shoulder was dislocated, his arm falling limply at his side. Blood dripped from his chin, flowing from a recently-healed wound. Kakashi had stepped in and was going toe-to-toe with their opponent, but he could barely see what was going on. Was this the speed of a jonin? He could only dream of matching that!

He glanced around urgently. His teammates were nowhere to be found. Breathing heavily, he focused on the surroundings, searching for their familiar presences. Yes – that was Sasuke, all right. And beside him... _No._ How could he have missed it?

"Naruto!" he heard Sasuke cry. The blonde sped away, his senses guiding him.

"Sasuke... Sakura-chan!" Naruto's eyes widened in shock as he caught sight of his pink-haired friend. "No... _kuso_!" he cried, kneeling beside her. He whipped out a spare t-shirt from his pack and helped Sasuke stem the bleeding. "How did this happen? Was... was there another attacker?"

"Came out of nowhere," Sasuke explained, pointing to a bloody object a metre from them. "Kunai went straight through her side. Not even sure which direction, but from the angle it entered, probably from above."

"Damn it! We need to get her to a medic," said Naruto. "You can't heal, eh Sakura-chan?" He understood, with great distress, that she already would have if she'd been able.

Sakura shook her head and lifted her hand to weakly point at the wound, "Too much... blood."

"I know, I know," Sasuke muttered in a somewhat soothing voice (as soothing as Sasuke could be, anyway. He was fairly gruff about most things). He turned to Naruto, "She needs a medic, but we really shouldn't move her."

"Eh? True, that really wouldn't be a good idea," the blonde agreed.

**&.&.&.&**

Sakura lay as still as she could, aware that any excess movement would accelerate her blood loss. Her breathing was becoming shallower and her eyelids heavy. As her two close friends exchanged hurried words, she struggled to focus on the blonde hair of Uzumaki Naruto. It was odd, really, how their friendship had worked out. Even with hardly anything in common... here they were. Living in the same house as siblings, on the same genin team, on this mission.

This mission... this mission. Their first ever mission out of Konoha, was it not? And then this man had appeared, demanding they hand her over.

Why?

What did they want? Why should they want _her?_ What... what would they do to her if they caught her alive?

Where had that kunai come from, anyway? How did she miss it? Was... was she that weak? So weak she couldn't even sense this kind of mortal danger?

This was the path she had chosen – what she had wanted all along. She'd begged her parents to let her attend the ninja academy instead of the civilian school. She'd fought with them when they opposed her early graduation. She thought she knew what to expect from shinobi life. She had read up on it extensively, searching for answers, trying to gain some proper understanding of what it was truly like. And she knew, deep down, that this was it.

And yet... and yet it was not until now that she truly felt it. Not until now that she experienced, understood, _lived it_, as she lay wounded on the forest floor.

This was the cruel, uncensored truth. This was shinobi life.

And it was brutal.

Sakura let her eyes close once again, letting a small tear escape, and took another shaky breath. Her lids felt unbelievably heavy. Whether or not she survived here, how long would it be until Naruto or Sasuke suffered the same fate?

What about all those kids in the academy? Half the girls were boy-obsessed and spent ages in front of the mirror every morning. They had no idea what they were getting into. Nobody prepared them. They were sheltered in their little bubble throughout their education, led to believe it was just a career and wasn't such a big deal. That it was _cool_.

This was _not_ cool. Sakura was sure even Naruto would admit it. And yet genin like them were thrown out on missions like this, without full training and with barely an inkling as to what _really_ went on.

The pink-haired genin felt many things at this very moment. Some she was sure of – resentment, shock, disappointment, anger. Others she really couldn't identify.

Were these the thoughts of a dying shinobi? Perhaps. Sakura shifted back, trying to focus clearly, and sighed. Her brain really was a jumbled mess.

All her medical knowledge was screaming at her to do something. Her brain was also screaming, ordering her to stay still. She could tell – vaguely, that is – that Naruto was also getting frantic, but his voice was far-off... almost like it wasn't really there at all. Sasuke was there, too, but his words were fading. Hopefully he was acting the mediator as usual, trying to calm his friend down.

And was that Kakashi's voice? Perhaps he had finally dealt with that intruder...

Her chakra, once a quiet, surging mass, seemed to be fading. Was somebody draining it? Was she losing control? Was... was she really dying?

**&.&.&.&**

It happened a moment.

The girl could barely describe the feeling. It was almost like her very being had _flipped a switch_. All physical feeling vanished: every little twinge, ache and throb. The feel of the clothes on her back and the grass in her hair. The cool, evening breeze.

Hesitantly, Sakura opened her eyes. The heavy weight of her lids was gone, and a bright light shone down from beyond the canopy. She saw Naruto panicking beside her and Sasuke looking pale and shocked. Kakashi had knelt down next to her and had his hand over her heart, applying some kind of medical technique.

That's when she realized – she was _floating_. Slowly rising upward, out of her body and toward the light. And she felt – strangely enough – peaceful, which was quite odd. Shouldn't one be distressed at their death, especially at such a young age?

She was six years old, hardly an age to be dying at. She'd never reach puberty, never go on another mission, or read another book, or yell at Naruto for messing up her room. She'd never get married and never grow old. Nobody would remember her but her family and the few friends she had. And overall, she'd just be another genin who died for an unnecessary reason in this cruel profession.

"No... no, wait..." Sakura tried to call out, a sudden feeling coming over her. Now was not the time to die! There was still so much to do! She had to become a medical shinobi and help Naruto find out more about his heritage. She had to be there for them...

Glancing downward, now – for she had risen above the group – her eyes set on Naruto, on Sasuke and finally on Kakashi, who still knelt over her bloodied body.

'What are you all thinking?' Sakura found herself wondering. 'Kaka-sensei... what are you trying to do? Has my heart stopped? You can't restart a stopped heart, you know.' It was odd that she should be out of her body when clearly, she was still alive. She had to be if he was still trying to save her.

And then there were voices.

_Just a little more... come on, Sakura. You're not going out that easily._

Was that... Kakashi's voice? It had startled her at first, after hovering in complete silence for quite a time.

_S-Sakura-nii-chan? Why? What's happening? Don't you dare leave me and Sasuke here alone... _Naruto's panicked voice shifted into the silence. _Kaka-sensei... please save her... wish I could do something, but I don't know any jutsu..._

Hesitantly, she turned her eyes to Sasuke, whose normally pale complexion had shifted an entire shade whiter. _I'll kill those people... whoever they are... I'll find them... whoever they are..._

And a realization hit the girl with the bubblegum-pink hair as she hovered above the crowd. She was hearing their very thoughts! Could all dead people read minds? She paled at the thought of spirits listening in on her daily thoughts.

Kakashi's voice came back to her in an urgent whisper when she turned back to him. _...and kuso, I really don't know enough about these techniques... why didn't I learn this properly? There's some kind of beating going on, but it's completely irregular_.

Instantly, Sakura's mind was whirring, thinking back to her books. 'Definitely atrial or ventricular fibrillation,' she thought, closing her eyes and remembering the page clearly in her mind. 'In that case... chakra pulse to the upper right atrium, medium output, strengthen if necessary...'

From his defeated-looking state, Kakashi didn't seem to know a thing about the anatomy of the heart. Of course, he was a shinobi; his knowledge likely centred on striking areas to cause damage, not to heal.

Watching him continue to struggle as she rose further away only angered Sakura. "Dammit, Kakashi-sensei!" she tried to yell, "Apply chakra pulses! Upper right! Hurry, before the heart gives out!"

Immediately, Kakashi seemed to come to his senses. Sakura felt an almighty jolt and her eyes flew open, her lungs sucking in an involuntary breath. She blinked, vaguely recognizing the fuzzy outlines of the people looming over her. It took her a moment to regain focus.

"Sakura-chan!" a tearful Naruto was by her side. Sasuke was next to him, still holding the bloody shirt and looking immensely relieved. She glanced down and caught the ethereal-green glow of her sensei's hands as they continued to heal her wounds. She could tell he was doing a choppy job.

Bringing her hand up, she gently pushed his away. "I'll do it," she insisted.

"Are you sure?" Kakashi asked. "You've lost a lot of blood..."

"No, I'm fine... I think I can mould chakra now. You might sew me up wrong, you know," Sakura told him rather bluntly. She watched as his face turned guilty. Okay, maybe that was a little mean. "You had the right idea about the chakra pulse," she said.

"Err... yes," he replied with a frown. "That."

"Though technically, you needn't have applied so much chakra."

"S-Sakura-chan? You're okay?" Naruto asked shakily. He was clearly on the verge of losing it. Sakura gritted her teeth as she sewed up her insides, glad for the shock that masked her pain.

"She'll be fine, Naruto," Kakashi said reassuringly. "She's extremely lucky."

"L-Lucky, Kaka-sensei? Was it really...?"

"From what she's told me about medicine, that would've been fatal if Kaka-sensei didn't apply his techniques when he did," Sasuke interrupted, snapping out of his reverie. Only now did Sakura get a good look at his face.

"Sasuke... your eyes!" she cried. "What happened?"

Immediately, everyone looked to Sasuke, who had gone wide-eyed. He looked curiously at his hands, then at the ground, then at Sakura. "Sh-sharingan?" he whispered. "Everything's so clear... I didn't notice before. I have sharingan, don't I?"

"Wow... Sasuke!" said Naruto in awe.

"How did I not notice?"

Kakashi was staring at Sasuke with a curious look in his visible eye. It was exceedingly rare for an Uchiha to activate their doujutsu at such a young age. Itachi was the only one he'd borne witness of. Had this battle been a catalyst? He'd not done so much as block a few strikes! Nevertheless, having a young sharingan user on his team would no doubt be beneficial. He'd be able to provide extra advice – not that he was any kind of expert. Well, no matter. They had bigger problems to deal with right now.

"Sakura lost a lot of blood," Kakashi explained, turning the conversation back to the situation, "which explains why she wasn't able to concentrate hard enough to use her chakra. I applied basic techniques to heal her, then converted some of her chakra as a blood transfusion. It's temporary, but... it works."

The girl coughed weakly and tried to sit up, wincing. "Ano, Kaka-sensei... thank you, for at least paying attention enough to learn about blood loss."

Kakashi pushed her back down, saying, "No, don't move until you're completely healed."

"It's fine," she reassured. "I sealed it. Just working on the stomach leakage... caused a bit of damage... there..."

"It's quite a miracle, though," Kakashi said, thinking back. "One moment she was close to death, the next she was awake. You're blessed to be here, Sakura."

"What do you mean, Kaka-sensei?" asked Naruto, as Sasuke and his sensei went into deep thought. Neither answered him.

Sakura, however, finally finished her healing and looked up to see the party contemplating in silence. "Kaka-sensei? What's up?" She frowned as he turned to her, and his single eye locked with hers.

_Don't know what I did... don't know what I did... she was almost dead, then suddenly... what did I do? I can barely remember... did I even do anything? Kuso... how is it a genin knows more than me, anyway? I..._

Sakura tore her eyes away from him, breathing heavily. 'Did... did I just hear his thoughts again?' she wondered. Perhaps she was simply hallucinating. That wouldn't be surprising, considering what she'd just been through.

"It's nothing, Sakura-chan. Concentrate on healing yourself, ne?"

**&.&.&.&**

The following morning, Kakashi called a team-meeting. The three genin sat around the dampened fire, all three in a kind of stupor from the previous night's events. Takohoshi had refused to rise, leaving the team alone to munch on rations for breakfast (and in Naruto's case, cup ramen).

"So... I'm sure you're all quite shocked about last night," Kakashi began.

"Sure we are," said Sasuke, speaking for all of them.

"There's one thing I haven't told you about myself, Sasuke," their sensei began.

"We know," Sakura interrupted, "you've had the sharingan transplanted."

'Kami-sama, she knows everything,' he thought. "That's correct," said Kakashi. "As your sensei, I'll be able to have some input in teaching you to use it."

"Eh? Well... thank you, sensei," said Sasuke. "What happened with that cloaked guy, anyway?"

Kakashi sighed, "I'm still unsure. I searched him, but he had no form of identification. Just a few hundred ryo."

"That's not much," said Naruto. "For conveniences?"

"That's likely," said Kakashi. "Regardless, we still don't know for certain where he's from. I've messaged the ANBU and they'll come to collect his body for further analysis. Right now, our concern is this kunai," he gestured to the weapon at his feet that had caused so much concern.

"No trace?" Sasuke presumed.

"None at all. Not even that my summons could detect."

"Your summons?" Naruto perked up.

Kakashi nodded, "Yes, they're a tracking unit. We couldn't trace using the kunai; it was too bloodied. There wasn't a trace left of him from the direction of attack, either."

"So... we don't know anything?" Sakura asked weakly, her eyes on the ground. She still had not looked up.

"My guess is it was a bunshin; I'm unsure what type, but it wouldn't be elemental. That's what worries me."

"Sensei?" Sasuke prodded.

"It's likely our attacker was a Konoha ninja," Kakashi said to their alarm. "Kage Bunshin is a technique unique to our village and leaves no trace when it dispels. No outsider would have knowledge to perform it."

"Why would one of our own ninja attack Sakura-chan?" Naruto demanded after a brief silence.

Kakashi stood, shaking his head, "There are many secrets in our village, Naruto. We may never learn them, but that is not our purpose. Shinobi follow orders to protect."

Sasuke clenched his fists. "So the village is no longer safe for Sakura?"

"Oh, no. I hardly think so," Kakashi waved off the suggestion. "If someone in Konoha is responsible, they'd never touch her in the village. It's far too obvious," he said with conviction. "They'd never do it right under the Hokage's nose."

**&.&.&.&**

At Sakura's insistence, the team finished the mission. After such an incident, Takohoshi had quietened down and was now only muttering occasionally about 'crazy fools'. They delivered him safely to his destination, then returned to Konoha as quickly as possible. At running pace (for which Kakashi insisted on carrying Sakura), they made it back in just over a day.

While Kakashi could tell his student had done a very good job healing herself, he still insisted they get her checked up.

"Kaka-sensei, really, I'm fine," Sakura insisted as the group arrived at the hospital that evening. "I walked all day yesterday!"

"Doesn't matter. We need someone to check that you're healed properly. Misuse of medical techniques can-"

"Can produce scarring tissue, blockages, rhabdomyolysis... I _know_, sensei."

"Err, right," Kakashi sweat-dropped as the girl rolled her eyes. _This six-year-old is ridiculous._

"Don't say that about me, Kaka-sensei!"

_Oops... did I say that out loud?_

Sakura, meanwhile, was panicking. This certainly wasn't the first time this had happened since the attack. Numerous times since, she'd caught echoing snippets from Naruto and Sasuke. She'd learnt to avoid paying attention to Kakashi when he had his orange book out; _that_ was a sure sign for disturbing thoughts. The return journey had thus given her a lot to think about.

The girl was unsure _why_ she could suddenly hear such things, but chalked it up to the attack. It really was the only explanation; she'd risen out of her body, had that _spiritual experience_, and then retained the ability. Did this happen to everyone who experienced... _that_? It really was odd. And a curse.

She really didn't want to know what went on in other people's minds. It would just cause problems, particularly with any relationships she had. Especially if everyone _knew_.

Oh Kami... how was she going to explain this to Sasuke and Naruto? Would they even believe her? She supposed she could always read their minds to prove it. But hearing people's thoughts whenever she looked into their eyes? It felt like she was stepping across a line – _invading_.

'If this happens with everyone, I won't be able to stand it,' thought Sakura. 'I've already had conversations with half a dozen people and there's no way I can concentrate when their thoughts are screaming at me.'

This brought her to a conclusion: she'd have to learn to control it. _Somehow_, she'd have to shut them out.

**&.&.&.&**

"Well, whoever healed you did an excellent job of it," the medic announced after inspecting the site. She beamed at Sakura. "You're very lucky." _I never knew Hatake-san was such an accomplished medic... KYAAA... he really is talented._

"Thank you, Kamiko-san," said Sakura, purposely ignoring the voice that plagued her thoughts. "Really, Kaka-sensei. I told you it'd be fine."

Kamiko turned toward the exit to see Hatake Kakashi leaning against the doorframe, an orange book in his hands. She blushed and smoothed down her apron. "You did quite a fine job, Hatake-san. I must thank you for saving me the trouble of opening her back up." Naruto and Sasuke, who were also present, blanched at the thought.

"Hmm?" Kakashi frowned, glancing up. "Oh, thank you. It was mostly Sakura. That was the main reason I insisted she come in; she's only a novice."

"EH?" Naruto glared at Kakashi, clearly outraged. "Sakura-chan knows more than _you_, Kaka-sensei! You looked like you were panicking!"

"Haruno-san, have you learnt about medical ninjutsu?" Kamiko asked in surprise. _Rubbish... she can't be older than seven... not enough control at that age..._

"Sakura-chan wants to be a medic," Sasuke explained. "She was the one who healed that wound. Kaka-sensei just helped with the blood loss."

Now was Kakashi's turn to look incredulous. "Sasuke, I'm quite sure I did more than that."

"I had to _resew _my stomach because you botched it, and then I had to heal the surrounding tissue and neutralise the acid," Sakura muttered beneath all the bickering. "Trust me, I'd be in much worse shape if I'd let you deal with me."

**&.&.&.&**

It felt good to finally return home. The house smelt of the evening meal, and of warmth, and of comfort. Only the faint ache and a thin, pink scar down her right side told of the horrors she'd experienced, but she would never let on. Her parents did _not_ need to know what she'd gone through. Kami, they'd pull her out of the profession and have her on a horse and cart out of Konoha before she could get a word in.

Sasuke had come round for tea at her insistence; after their experience out of the village, she wasn't about to leave him alone. They sat in her bedroom as usual, fiddling with kunai or (in Sakura's case) flipping through a book.

"Ne, Sasuke? Did you tell your family about your sharingan?" Naruto asked him.

"Yeah!" Sasuke cried, looking thrilled. "I told 'Tachi-nii first."

"Awesome! He should teach you how to use it, ne?"

"I hope so! And Tou-san and Kaa-san were so surprised! Not even 'Tachi-nii activated his so early, y'know."

"_Whoa_... ne, I really wish I had a cool doujutsu!"

Sasuke shrugged, "Bloodline stuff isn't always visible, like a Kekkei-Genkai. Your clan was highly skilled in a lot of areas."

"I suppose so..."

The pair lulled into silence, noticing that their other teammate had yet to say a word in the conversation. In fact, she'd barely talked at all, much less looked at them, since the mission.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked. The girl was absentmindedly flipping through a book on medicinal herbs and did not look up.

"M'fine," she said. Naruto could not help but notice her distressed features.

"You're obviously not fine," Sasuke told her flatly. He reeled back as the pink-haired girl looked up and shot him a glare.

"What do you two think, that I'd just be fine after I almost died?" she demanded, wide-eyed and shaking.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto murmured.

"Kuso..." they heard her murmur as she scrunched her eyes shut and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry," she said.

"No, I'm sorry," Sasuke muttered. "My fault for pushing it." They lapsed back into silence and Sakura turned back to her book.

She never looked up.

She couldn't look up.

It wasn't just eye-contact any longer. It was merely the sight of a being that catalysed the rush of voices to her mind. They echoed tauntingly in her head, forcing her to look away. Even now, as she struggled to concentrate on the page before her, the occasional faint whisper of one of her teammates would seep through.

Worse: she couldn't think of a single way to tell them.

**&.&.&.&**

**Right, chapter done! Time for a nice, ****_long_**** sleep.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**-Charlie**


End file.
